Acce s the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Aaron Judge stayed on the ground momentarily after making the last of his highlight-worthy catches on Friday. It didnt take long for Judge to get up and begin to head toward the dugout, but anytime Judge hits the ground, his teammates, and basically anyone a sociated with the Yankees, holds their breath. My first thought was that I was a little nervous, Aaron Boone said. Him going over there, sliding on the dirt pretty hard. I was making sure the big guy was OK. As usual, Judge was more than OK, as he Jonathan Ericsson Jersey impacted with his glove and added a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly. Aaron Judge makes a diving catch in right field during the Yankees July 11 win. Jason Szenes for the NY Post Explore More No play was better than the final one he made, robbing Kyle Tucker of a two-run double with a full-out diving catch near the right field line to end the top of the eighth. It allowed Carlos Rodn to finish eight scorele s innings. I felt like I had to run a mile to get to the ball, Judge said. I had to take a minute to make sure I caught it. I dont think Im getting old, but sometimes it feels like it. I had to check to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Carlos Rodn reacts after Aaron Judges diving catch to end the eighth inning July 11, Robert Sabo for the NY Post The robbery occurred immediately after Judges lone misplay of the night, when he said he lost Nico Hoerners single to right-center in the lights that nearly knocked Rodn out of the game, but Boone gave the lefty one more batter and he got Tucker. Judge said he was ready to run through a wall to get Tuckers fly ball following Hoerners base hit which is exactly what the Yankees dont want, especially after his infamous collision with the fence at Dodger Stadium in 2023 that resulted in an injured toe that derailed the entire season. Ive got a job to do, Judge said of his mentality on defense. That was kind of a freak thing that happened at Dodger Stadium, and when the pitcher is working his butt off, I have to do what I can. Aaron Judge robbed a home run during the Yankees game July 11. Screengrab via X/@MLB Judges glovework on Friday , helping protect what was then a three-run lead. The first one came with one out, when Chicagos burgeoning star Pete Crow-Armstrong sent a fly ball deep to right, seemingly headed to the seats in the shallow part of the park. But Judge got to the wall, timed his leap perfectly and avoided the distraction of a fan also reaching for the ball to make an excellent catch. Aaron Judge also made a diving catch during the fourth inning of the Yankees game July 11. Screengrab via X/@MLB CHECK OUT THE AND With chants of MVP from the Stadium crowd still echoing, Judge made almost as good a catch on the next play, as he raced in and dove headfirst to steal a single from Dansby Swanson on a sinking liner for the final out of the inning. Again, the Bronx crowd responded with MVP chants as Judge jogged off the field. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Friday provided another example of how much better the Yankees are with Judge in right field and Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger splitting time in center. Judge entered the game with solid defensive metrics in right, with three defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, good for seventh best in the majors. Contrast that number albeit an imperfect one with the minus-9 DRS he put up last year in center, which was third worst in the majors among 18 players who saw enough innings at the position to qualify for the stat. Hes an elite right fielder, Boone said. Hes just a great player who takes a ton of pride in his defense. Cam Talbot Jersey