Neighborhood News: Aaron Judge Unchained - In this career season, he saw a mini-slowdown in early September. That's over now.

Friday the 13th, and Aaron Judge was in a slump—or rather, what passes for a slump in this epic 2024 season of his. He hadn’t homered in 16 games, his longest dry spell in the majors. The superstitious chatter around the clubhouse held that he’d appeared on a kiddie show in late August and, through some inchoate psychic mechanism, had his mojo sapped. This Friday-night game was the second in a four-game series against the Red Sox, and in the bottom of the seventh inning Boston was up 4-1. After throwing two called balls, the Sox reliever Cam Booser had to get one over, and he did approximately what he’s supposed to do: keep it low and away. It wasn’t low or away enough. Judge dug his bat under and lifted the ball 368 feet, over the Canon ad in left field. Grand slam, Yankees take the lead. Judgemania—mounting all summer, held in tension during two weeks of merely good hitting— exploded yet again. Final score: 5-4.

- By Christopher Bonanos