“I was just trying to make a play, doesn’t matter who it is” - New York Yankees star Aaron Judge on the spectacular catch that robbed Shohei Ohtani of a home run

Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees were hosting Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium for the first game of a three-game series the two teams have this week. After a series split with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees are keen to get some series wins back.

With a record of 34-15, the Yankees are the best team in baseball. The Angels, on the other hand, just suffered a four-game series sweep at home in Anaheim from the Toronto Blue Jays. Both teams were eager to get this series off on the right foot with a victory.

Aaron Judge makes a leaping catch and robs a first-inning run from Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs on Sunday against the Blue Jays after a dry streak where he went 0-6. With the renewed confidence, the 27-year-old Japanese phenomenon came out swinging for the fences in the first inning of yesterday's game.

Batting second in the Angels lineup, Ohtani came up to the plate to face Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery in the first inning. Montgomery was looking for his very first win of 2022.

On a 1-2 count, Ohtani jumped on a high fastball hurled by Montgomery and hit deep and high into center field. Aaron Judge, who normally plays right field, was back in center tracking the ball.

"Ohtani sends one deep, but @TheJudge44 has other plans" - @ MLB

Timing it perfectly, Aaron Judge lept up and stole the ball from going over the center field wall. It was a stupendous display of raw athleticism from Aaron Judge, who currently leads the MLB in home runs with 18.

The catch evidently spurred the Yankees bats on. The Yankees would score four runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of RBI doubles by Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo. Matt Carpenter also hit his first home run as a member of the Yankees, a solo shot off of Angels starter Noah Syndergaard.

"Anthony Rizzo drives in Aaron Judge to open the scoring!" - @ Yankees Videos

The Yankees won 9-1, and the Angels have now lost six straight games, seeing the space grow between them and the top spot in their division. After the game, speaking about how it felt to rob a home run from a player like Ohtani, Judge said “I was just trying to make a play, doesn’t matter who it is.”