Yankees’ Aaron Judge breaks rookie home-run record

NEW YORK – Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge slugged his way into MLB’s record book, tying – then breaking – Mark McGwire’s rookie mark for home runs with Nos. 49 and 50 on Monday afternoon.

Not much for celebrating his own personal achievements, Judge acknowledged the fans clamoring for a curtain call by stepping out of the home dugout and waving to the standing and cheering crowd.

That all-rise moment at Yankee Stadium came in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 10-3 victory against the Kansas City Royals, a makeup game due to a May 25 rainout.

CC Sabathia had a six-run lead and a shutout going until the seventh, when he gave up three runs – coming on consecutive home runs by Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas – to make it 6-3.

But Judge’s 50th homer of the year in the seventh was immediately followed by Gary Sanchez’s 33rd homer of the year. Greg Bird hit a two-run homer during a three-run sixth.

Batting in the third inning, Judge drove a pitch from Royals right-handed starter Jakob Junis into the right field seats. The two-run shot gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

Judge’s towering, solo shot to left field in the seventh broke the rookie home run record McGwire had established in 1987.

Judge now has 31 homers at the Stadium this year, extending his record for the most in one season at the current Yankee Stadium.

Judge has 13 home runs and 26 RBIs in 22 games during the month of September. He also hit a pair of home runs on Sunday against the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Before the game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was asked about Judge’s pursuit of McGwire’s rookie home run record.

“Obviously it would be a great accomplishment. The one thing I don’t want is him to get away from is what he’s been doing,” Girardi said. “He doesn’t need to try to hit home runs. They come naturally for him.”

Judge has now hit a home run against each A.L. club this season.