The New York Yankees snapped their three-game shutout streak with a thrilling performance, thanks to home runs from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Cody Bellinger. However, their star player, Aaron Judge, continues to face a rare slump, failing to deliver in a critical 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on June 18, 2025, at Yankee Stadium. This defeat marked the team’s season-high sixth consecutive loss, keeping fans on edge.
Chisholm and Bellinger’s power hits ended a 30-inning scoreless drought, but Judge’s struggles stole the spotlight. The Yankees’ captain went hitless in four at-bats, extending his skid to 3-for-28. His season batting average dropped from .396 to .366, a significant dip that has raised eyebrows. Judge also struck out twice, adding to his 19 strikeouts over the past eight games, including key moments against Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz.
Despite the setbacks, Judge remained composed. “It’s baseball. You hit two balls hard today, and you don’t get rewarded for it. So it’s, like I said, I gotta show up tomorrow and just do my job. That’s about it,” he said. “Guys are making pitches. They’re doing their job. Sometimes we’re faltering and not doing our job. It’s tough to say, but like I said, I think it just comes down to us not executing, us not doing our job, maybe a little passive in certain situations. But all we can do is show up tomorrow and be aggressive and be ready to go.”
The tension peaked in the eighth inning with the Yankees trailing 3-2. After an Anthony Volpe error allowed the Angels to take the lead, Judge stepped up with two runners on base, offering a chance to tie or win. However, he flied out to deep center field against reliever Connor Brogdon, stranding Jasson Domínguez at third. Bellinger’s subsequent foul out ended the threat, sealing the Yankees’ fate.
Manager Aaron Boone downplayed Judge’s slump, offering a nuanced perspective. “Is it, though?” Boone responded when asked about his captain’s form. “Monday night he hit two rockets and had a couple walks and he goes 0-fer and it’s a slump. Maybe he’s missed a couple pitches. I mean, it’s a hard game. I don’t know if I see it that way. He’s not gonna get two hits every day, week on week on week. It happens. He’ll continue to make adjustments like he always does, like he’s always doing when he’s going really well. When he hits a rough patch he’ll continue to do that.”
As the Yankees look to rebound, all eyes remain on Judge. Will he break out of his slump and lead the team back to victory? Stay tuned for the next game as the Bronx Bombers aim to turn the tide.