2024 MLB Playoffs: Aaron Judge, Yankees offense looks lethargic in ALDS Game 2 loss to Royals

NEW YORK – This Yankees defeat does not rest on the incredibly broad shoulders of Aaron Judge.

In a way, none of them really do.

Judge, the all-world, home run-hitting captain of this great franchise, never really deserved to be the scapegoat for a single loss. The Yankees are where they are and could go where they want to go, in large part because Judge is a generational force. Blaming the golden goose seems a bit ungrateful and misguided.

But fair or not, Judge's streak of underperformance in the playoffs — which continued Monday with a disheartening 4-2 loss to the Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS — conjures a narrative that is both lazy and inevitable. A 1-for-7 performance so far this fall has brought Judge's postseason career to a disappointing (by his immense standards) .208/.311/.449 in 46 games. He now has the highest strikeout rate in playoff history at 34.3%.

Doubts about Judge's ability to shine on the biggest stage grow from whispers to questions, as silly as that may be.

“I mean, baseball — it hits. I had a base hit and a walk in one game,” Yankees captain Aaron Boone said of Judge in his postgame press conference. “I understand, but hitting is hard. You won’t hold onto him for long.”

The questions, for both Boone and Judge, come with the performance. It's part of it. You understand this reality. Judge has panned Yankee Stadium countless times during his spring and summer months. He made history again and again. However, the presumptive AL MVP has yet to produce a signature postseason moment or a World Series trophy. Until he does, the amazement will continue.

Boone and Judge also know that Judge is just one man, as demonstrated by Boone's frustrated and puzzled tone during the press conference. Several other Yankees hitters also shined on Monday. Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres failed to score. Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s home run in the ninth was the team's only extra base kick of the night. Starting pitcher Carlos Rodón recorded just 11 outs.

Judge's unforgettable 1-for-3 with a walk didn't derail the Bombers.

“He was on base three times in the first two games,” Boone continued. “It's not that easy. It's baseball. Hitting is a game of failure. He will get more chances and I will continue to rely on him.”

The Yankees delivered a sleepy performance on Monday, but it started with a jolt.

Rodón opened the game with an electric first inning that had the crowd excited and excited. He started with a strikeout against Maikel Franco, freezing the Kansas City third baseman on a knee-high heater. An energized Rodón roared from the mound as Franco stalked back to the dugout.

Out No. 2 came with an elevated fastball, a rocket-powered four-seater that was swept past star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. The Yankees' starter, urged on by the pinstriped supporters, nodded cockily to himself and then appeared to bellow, “Oooh, let's go, boys.” An inning-ending punchout from Vinnie Pasquantino, this time on one sneaky slider, elicited a tongue-waggle and wide-eyed response from the flame-throwing starter.

Rodón held the Royals at bay in the second and third innings, and the Yankees pushed past a run in the bottom of that frame, but the power faltered in a disastrous fourth inning. The Yankees' left-hander fell behind first batter Salvador Pérez after hitting two sliders to hit the All-Star backstop. The next breaking ball, a dull spinner, found the strike zone. Unfortunately for Rodón, it also hit the barrel of Pérez's bat and – after 5.4 seconds – the seats in left field.

“Trust the pitch and attack. “That’s the attitude I would like to have,” the injured starter explained after the game. “Of course I want to be better.”

Peréz, circling the bases, waved his arms like a bird in flight. That long ball was his fourth career home run against Rodón and pushed his career OPS against the southpaw to over 1.500. The dark-eyed pitcher shook his head in frustration, his lips pursed.

His night was about to get even worse.

Three more hits and two more runs later, Rodón was out of the game. In his first playoff start in pinstripes, he totaled 11 outs. Kansas City left the game with a 4-1 lead. From there, New York threatened but couldn't break through. The score didn't change until Chisholm reached the yard early in the ninth.

The Bahamas' shot from the top deck brought some hope back to the home crowd's imagination and cut the lead to two. Surprising first baseman Jon Berti singled against Royals closer Lucas Erceg with two outs. That got Gleyber Torres to tie it, but the Yankees second baseman rolled out to end the threat and the game.

A symphony of groans rang out over the first notes of Sinatra's “New York, New York” as the Kansas City players shook hands and said “yes.”

The series now moves to Kauffman Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday. It will be the Royals' first home playoff game since the 2015 World Series. The Kansas City skyline will be a comfort to this road-weary Royals team that hasn't set foot in the City of Fountains since Sept. 22.

The Yankees, on the other hand, have been sleeping in their own beds since the same date. After Monday's game, Judge and his teammates packed their gear into navy duffel bags. Now they're back on the road for the first time in more than two weeks.

After Monday's loss, a return to the Bronx is no longer a guarantee. In October, the deployment quickly becomes important.