Aaron Judge, Alek Manoah prevent benches from clearing after hit-by-pitch in Yankees-Blue Jays game
Gerrit Cole and the Yankees were about to attack the field after Aaron Judge was hit by a pitch from Alek Manoah on Sunday. But the New York outfielder and Blue Jays hurler helped defuse the situation.
At the end of the fifth inning, with the Blue Jays leading 2-1, Judge was thrown onto the elbow pad on the first pitch of the at-bat. With an initially open base, it was easy to speculate that the pitch might have been on purpose, as it took the bat out of Judge’s hands and fielded a force at each base.
When Judge got hit, he was clearly frustrated – as apparently was Manoah – but the Yankee dugout was even hotter.
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After reaching first base, Judge walked back to Manoah while the Yankee dugout remained at the edge of the clearing and had a brief chat with the pitcher. He slapped Manoah and headed back to first base while the Yankees headed back to the dugout. The Yankees won the game 4-2.
Manoah explained after the game that he was struggling with his sinker the last five or six starts and that hitting Judge while he was challenging Cole wasn’t intentional.
“I looked [Judge] and said, ‘I’m not trying.’ I think he understood that,” Manoah said. according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. “And I think if Gerrit wants to do something next time he can walk past the Audi sign.”
“Next time, if Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign.” – Alek Manoah on Gerrit Cole’s reaction when Aaron Judge was hit by a pitch. pic.twitter.com/Mn0TKYo8No
— Tim and his friends (@timandfriends) August 21, 2022
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The judge said he didn’t think he was hit intentionally and described the clearing of the dugouts as “the heat of the moment”. according to the YES network. He said he wanted to calm down the Yankees dugout because he “didn’t want anyone else to get thrown out.”
I just wanted to move on to the next piece. I know [Anthony] Rizzo had a big hit behind me and I’d be a little happier if I had some runs than if we were fighting out there and losing some guys.
Cole said he wasn’t sure if Judge was hit intentionally, but said Judge got hit and “we got dusted multiple times”.
“[Judge is] play the defuser I guess,” said Cole, according to the YES network.
Manoah struggled to keep missing during the launch. His Baseball Savant Pitch Chart shows many fastballs and sinkers in the top left corner, away from left-handed batsmen, and well up and in for right-handed batsmen.
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Manoah also struggles with getting too close to Batter. Since the start of the 2021 season, only Charlie Morton has hit more batsmen (31) than Manoah (28), and Morton has pitched 65.2 more innings and faced 257 more batsmen, per Stathead.
Judge may also be one of baseball’s most feared hitters, but Manoah has lined him up well in the past. Manoah, who debuted in 2021, competed in Sunday’s contest against the Yankees after holding Judge to just one hit — a home run — in 15 plate appearances with five strikeouts.
And when it comes to the heavyweight fight being proposed by the Yankee show – and Manoah’s challenge – Cole probably doesn’t want to face Manoah. Cole is certainly no slouch at 6-4, 220 pounds, but should a clash occur, Judge, who weighs 6-7, 282 pounds, is a much better opponent for the 6-6, 260-pound Manoah.