Aaron Judge's HR leads too unfortunate Cardinals injury

St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) leaps and smashes into the wall but is unable to catch a solo home run hit by New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (not pictured) during the third inning at Busch Stadium.

Aaron Judge launched his 39th home run of the season Saturday night at Busch Stadium, but the blast came at a cost for St. Louis. Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II jammed his foot into the base of the wall while attempting to rob Judge’s third-inning shot, leaving the game later with a left ankle sprain.

Scott, who had gone 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI before exiting, was replaced in center by Garrett Hampson. The rookie has been the Cardinals’ everyday center fielder, appearing in 116 games while batting .223, and his status will be worth monitoring as St. Louis continues to navigate a difficult stretch.

The Yankees went on to claim a 12-8 victory, securing the series win and positioning themselves for a sweep on Sunday. Judge, who also had an RBI double and drew two walks, picked up his first multi-hit game since July 13. His third-inning homer, which bounced off the top of the wall before carrying into the right-field seats, means he has now homered against every MLB team.

But it was Ben Rice who provided the biggest spark. The rookie first baseman tied a career high with seven RBIs, including a three-run homer off Sonny Gray in the fourth inning and a bases-clearing double against Kyle Leahy in the sixth. Rice added an RBI single in the seventh, matching his total from a three-homer performance last summer against Boston.

Yankees take down the Cardinals led by Ben Rice, Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge's HR leads too unfortunate Cardinals injury — Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

“Rice gave us big swings all night,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He kept coming through in those spots and really carried us offensively.”

Trent Grisham chipped in four hits and scored four runs, while newly acquired Ryan McMahon added his first Yankees home run. New York finished with 15 hits, overcoming a rocky start by left-hander Max Fried. Fried (13-5) notched his 1,000th career strikeout but allowed seven runs on eight hits in just over five innings, surrendering multiple homers for the third time this season. Nolan Gorman’s two-run blast in the sixth ended Fried’s outing, while Masyn Winn added a three-run homer earlier in the game to keep St. Louis within striking distance.

Gray (11-6) wasn’t much better for the Cardinals, giving up six runs on nine hits in five innings as St. Louis dropped its fourth straight. Despite the late push from the Cardinals, closer David Bednar came on in the ninth to lock down his 20th save after retiring Iván Herrera with two men aboard.

The Yankees, now eyeing a sweep, will send Will Warren (7-5, 4.34 ERA) to the mound in Sunday’s finale against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (6-9, 4.97). For St. Louis, the bigger question may be whether Scott avoids a serious setback. The 23-year-old has become a staple in the Cardinals’ lineup, and losing him for any stretch would add to an already frustrating season.