Aaron Judge is flailing in his first World Series, and the Yankees are sinking along with him

LOS ANGELES -- Aaron Judge is sinking ever deeper into a gruesome postseason slump, and nan New York Yankees' title chances are fading correct on pinch him.

The Yankees' superstar slugger went 1 for 9 pinch six strikeouts successful his first 2 World Series games astatine Dodger Stadium, dragging down New York's discourtesy successful 2 losses to Los Angeles.

Judge was 0 for 4 pinch 3 strikeouts successful Game 2 connected Saturday night. He struggled moreover to make interaction against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and reliever Blake Treinen, who fanned him pinch Juan Soto connected 2nd guidelines for nan first retired of nan ninth inning successful nan Dodgers' 4-2 victory.

Judge swung and missed six times successful his 4 at-bats successful Game 2. The full Dodgers roster only did that 12 times.

Judge will astir apt triumph his 2nd American League MVP grant aft nan play ends, but he is nobody's thought of an October hero.

He is 6 for 40 pinch 2 homers and a whopping 19 strikeouts successful these playoffs, getting each six of his RBIs during a three-game agelong successful nan AL Championship Series. He is 0 for 8 pinch runners successful scoring position, and he has conscionable 1 deed successful his past 22 at-bats successful that business making love to past postseasons.

This isn't thing caller for 1 of nan game's apical hitters from April to September: Judge's profession postseason mean has dropped to .199 arsenic nan bid shifts to Yankee Stadium.

Nothing successful this marquee World Series matchup was much compelling than nan matchup of Judge and Shohei Ohtani, nan 2 astir vulnerable sluggers successful baseball.

But while Giancarlo Stanton and Freddie Freeman took immoderate memorable swings successful nan first 2 games, nan 2 large names had precisely 1 large deed betwixt them — and past Ohtani injured his near limb while sliding successful nan seventh inning of Game 2, putting his position successful uncertainty for nan Bronx.

Ohtani doubled disconnected nan wall and scored nan tying tally successful nan eighth inning of Game 1, but nan two-way superstar is conscionable 1 for 8 pinch a locomotion and 2 strikeouts successful nan first 2 games, many times putting outs successful play early successful nan count.

Judge went 1 for 5 successful Game 1, pinch Jack Flaherty striking him retired successful his first 3 at-bats. His only deed was a coagulated two-out azygous to halfway successful nan seventh, but Stanton couldn't beforehand him.

He past popped retired pinch 2 Yankees connected guidelines to extremity nan ninth inning, failing to travel done successful a business tailor-made for postseason heroics. Even worse, nan Dodgers walked Juan Soto to get to Judge, who couldn't make them pay.

Judge has been dismal successful his first postseason since he signed a $360 million, nine-year statement aft mounting an AL grounds pinch 62 homers successful 2022 and beating retired Ohtani for nan AL MVP award. New York missed nan postseason past fall.

Judge led nan fields this play pinch with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and a 1.159 OPS. He batted .322 and scored 122 runs, driving nan Yankees guardant to nan AL East title contempt enduring a career-long location tally drought of 16 games spanning August and September.

The 6-foot-7 Judge's powerful plaything has been loopy and inaccurate lately, though it appeared to beryllium getting much businesslike successful caller weeks. He's still swinging and missing astatine an alarming rate, including a mediocre plaything astatine a slider from Yamamoto beneath nan area successful nan first inning of Game 2. He's often been retired successful beforehand of breaking pitches and down connected fastballs.

He flied retired to correct to extremity nan 3rd inning, and Yamamoto struck him retired again to extremity nan fifth, pinch Judge flailing astatine a vicious, debased splitter that dipped successful connected him.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB