The Yankees chased Aaron Judge into the outfield early Sunday night, swarming him in a bouncy, gleeful embrace. Now they will follow Judge to the playoffs.
Judge is the Yankees’ cornerstone, the slugger who has led them for half a decade as they’ve tried to return to the World Series. This season was more trying than most, with alternating lengthy stretches of captivating and confounding play. But Judge assured it would continue by topping a tense day at Yankee Stadium with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0.