Aaron Judge's bat has been relatively quiet since he returned from the injured list last week. In his first six games back, he's gone just 4-for-21 with one home run, three RBI, one walk and 11 strikeouts.
He finally went yard on Monday, however, clobbering his first homer since May 24. His three-run shot off A.J. Minter in the eighth inning helped power the New York Yankees to an 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
It was a sloppy win for the Yankees, who committed three errors and nearly squandered Will Warren's strong start. They rallied for six runs in the eighth, however, and finished with three homers, including Judge's 18th of the season.
The win was New York's 87th of the year and clinched the club's third straight playoff berth. The Yankees have now reached the postseason eight times in nine years under manager Aaron Boone.
They have yet to win a championship during that time, however, and are still seeking their first World Series title since 2009.
Entering play on Tuesday, New York is 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and holds the top wild card spot in the American League. Getting Judge back on track over the next two weeks before the playoffs start will be key for them.