Aaron Judge became Aaron Judge again and gave a playoff game its only moment of glory. Judge's devastating and majestic two-run moonshot over the center field wall in the bottom of the seventh inning highlighted his New York Yankees' 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Judge entered Tuesday night's home game hitting just .133, with just one run batted in, one extra base hit and zero home runs this postseason. “Did he get it?” TBS play-by-play guy Brian Robinson asked as Judge sent a letter-high 95 mph fastball skyward from Guardians hurler Hunter Gaddis.

“He got it!” Robinson finally added as the ball landed well beyond the outstretched glove of leaping Guardians midfielder Lane Thomas. “Aaron Judge finally connects!”

Judge's hit against Gaddis, the Guardians' seventh pitcher of the game, came with Gleyber Torres on first and gave the Yanks a 6-2 lead that Cleveland couldn't overcome.

Judge's playoff problems, which came after he had played a long regular season, were much discussed before Tuesday's game and certainly played a role in Guardians manager Stephen Vogt's decision to sack Juan Soto with one out on Late in the second inning, Judge intentionally walked to load the bases.

Vogt then pulled starter Tanner Bibee after just 1.1 innings and 39 pitches and his team lost just 1-0. Vogt brought in Cade Smith to pitch for Judge. While the home fans chant “MVP!” The popular but struggling slugger hit a sac fly up the middle to score Anthony Rizzo from third, doubling both his RBI total in the 2024 playoffs and his team's lead. Smith struck out Austin Wells to end the inning and rally. But Vogt's decision to give up Soto to face Judge could be the insult that got Judge back into shape. God knows this series could use more of what he brought to the table.

Vogt didn't let Smith or any subsequent relievers down in a bullpen game for the Guardians. Ultimately, eight different pitchers threw his team's eight innings. The Yankees used five pitchers. The constant conferences and attendant trips to the mound and warm-ups contributed to the game lasting 3.5 hours.

And it was a boring 3.5 hours! For all of this game's pre-pitch clock length, aside from Judge's dong, the only excitement came from missed opportunities and blunders. Both sides took turns messing up.

Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio strayed in the first inning on a popup from Judge and his drop allowed Torres to score the game's first run.

Early in the fourth quarter, Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm singled in front of shortstop Anthony Volpe but was unable to field a grounder from Lane Thomas, depriving Volpe of any shot he needed for the speedy guard. (Volpe's subsequent blunder was originally ruled a mistake by both me and the official scorer, but was later changed to a single error by the official scorer. I stand by my “E.”)

Then Chisholm doubled to open the bottom of the sixth, but was then picked off at second base and prolonged the misery by convincing his manager not to challenge the out call. Cleveland right fielder Will Brennan misplayed Rizzo's shot to right after taking his eyes off the ball to check on the Yankees baserunners, allowing Volpe to score and Rizzo to reach second. Rizzo returned the favor by being picked off to end the inning. (Back to me: I'm pretty glad I haven't seen two runners batted out in an inning since I saw three runners batted out in an inning by Baltimore Orioles reliever Tippy Martinez in 1983 .)

Brennan's second hit of the night came when he dropped a sinking liner from Volpe in the bottom of the eighth. (Somehow it wasn't a mistake by the same scorer who reversed Volpe's drop.)

Cleveland left the bases loaded twice. Clay Holmes, who came on for Yankees starter Gerrit Cole with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth and the Yankees leading 3-1, got the win despite pitching only two-thirds of an inning. Holmes ended that inning and the Guardians' last real rally of the night by striking out Austin Hedges.

Yanks closer Luke Weaver gave up a rare but ultimately meaningless solo home run to Jose Ramirez in the ninth to make the score 1-0. New York relievers have only allowed two runs in the entire postseason. The best-of-seven series now heads to Cleveland, where the Yanks lead 2-0. And Judge back with his groove.

“It was good to add two,” Judge said when asked in a postgame interview on TBS about his home run, which was just as great as the game before it. “We just have to go out there and keep playing our game.”