Yankees star Judge hits 61st home run, ties Maris’ AL record

TORONTO: Aaron Judge tied Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 home runs in a season, going deep for the New York Yankees against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. The 30-year-old slugger drove a 94.5 mph belt-high sinker with a full-count from left-hander Tim Mayza over the left-field fence in the seventh inning at Rogers Center, a 117 mph drive that landed 394 feet from the plate. The tiebreaking, two-run drive, which put the Yankees ahead 5-3, clanked off the front of the stands and dropped into Toronto’s bullpen.

Judge’s mother and Roger Maris Jr. rose and huegged from front-row seats. He appeared to point toward them after rounding second base, them was congratulated by the entire Yankees team who gave him hugs after he crossed the plate Judge moved past the 60 home runs Babe Ruth hit in 1927, which had stood as the major league mark until Maris broke it in 1961.

All three stars reached those huge numbers playing for the Yankees. Barry Bonds holds the big league record of 73 for the San Francisco Giants in 2001. Judge had gone seven games without a home run — his longest drought this season was nine in mid-August.

This was the Yankees’ 155th game of the season, leaving them seven more in the regular season. The home run came in the fourth plate appearance of the night for Judge, ending a streak of 34 plate appearances without a home run. Judge is hitting .314 with 130 RBIs, also the top totals in the AL.

He has a chance to become the first AL Triple Crown winner since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Maris hit No. 61 for the Yankees on Oct.

1, 1961, against Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard. Maris’ mark has been exceeded six times, but all have been tainted by the stench of steroids. Mark McGwire