NEW YORK — It’s difficult to understate the importance of the New York Yankees’ 2-0, walk-off win over the Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon. It was as apparent as the cold that hung all day over Yankee Stadium, or that rain and wind that battered the Bronx all weekend.The Yankees were skidding, having lost 10 of 14 games going back to May 8. They were 5 1/2 games back of the first-place Rays, who had already beaten them in all four of their matchups this season. And they were facing a brutal turnaround — a nighttime flight to Kansas City to play an afternoon game on Memorial Day on Monday.Then struggling star Aaron Judge lightened their load with no outs in the ninth inning, lifting a long fly ball that just cleared the fence in right-center field and scoring pinch runner Max Schuemann.It set off a wild celebration. Ben Rice waved his arms like a maniac on the on-deck circle. Judge’s teammates spilled out over the dugout fence to congratulate him at home plate.“That’s a big win,” left fielder Cody Bellinger said.“It felt good,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Jazz, Wells and Grisham weren’t taking any chances. They made sure they were covered on all sides to get Aaron Judge with the ice bath after his walk-off. pic.twitter.com/X0TsA2HlDT
