On September 23, Northern California’s Aaron Judge hit his 55th home run at the Oakland Coliseum. The New York Yankees won 7–7 and won the American League Championship.
The sweep win, combined with the Baltimore Orioles’ second consecutive loss to the Detroit Tigers, gave the Yankees (92–64) a six-game lead over the Orioles with six games remaining.
After the Athletics scored two runs in the first inning, Judge’s solo homer to center field in the third inning gave the Yankees the lead, followed by Dominguez’s two-run single in the bottom of the inning. The score was tied in the second game.
Torres’ 15th homer drove in two runs in the fifth inning, giving New York a 5–2 lead in the final game at Oakland’s old stadium.
Ryan Noda hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to increase the lead to 5–4, then Giancarlo Stanton hit an RBI double in the seventh and Austin Wells hit an RBI double in the ninth inning to increase the lead to 5–4.-4.
Luis Gil (15-6) allowed four runs on five hits with one out in the sixth inning. He walked three times and struck out five.
New York relievers Ian Hamilton, Tim Hill, Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief. Weaver got the final five outs in his fourth save, including one via strikeout.
Oakland starter Joey Estes (7-9) failed. He lasted only four innings, during which he gave up all three of the Yankees’ home runs, five runs and seven hits. He had one walk and one strikeout.
Judge also had two hits and joined Torres in hitting two for the Yankees, who have won five of seven games against the Athletics this season. Judge and Juan Soto each scored two.
Judge hit seven home runs in 18 career games at the Coliseum.
Tyler Soderstrom had two hits for the Athletics (67-89), including a double that gave the home team a two-run lead in the first.
Oakland has one home series remaining, a three-game series that begins Tuesday against the Texas Rangers.
——Visual-level media
