Aaron Judge put more than one ‘ghost’ behind him in Yankees clincher

Aaron Judge ran through the same dugout where he sat immobilized in disbelief only 375 days earlier.

Back then, the Yankees’ 2023 season was over.

Just a bunch of players helplessly staring out at the field at Kauffman Stadium after the regular-season finale ended in defeat.

Fast forward to Thursday and he was wearing a sopping-wet shirt as he hurried from the team photo on the mound back to the champagne-popping clubhouse celebration that followed a 3-1 series-clinching victory against the Royals in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Since I’ve been here with the Yankees, we haven’t secured a pennant,” Judge said, looking forward to the ALCS. “The group that we have, just excited for this opportunity. It’s going to be something special.”

Judge wasn’t the driving force behind the Yankees advancing — he went 2-for-13 over four games and continued his career-long playoff struggles — but he came up big in the clincher.

He doubled and scored in the sixth inning, drew two walks and stole a base.

“I think we got a little bit of the ghost from the old stadium,” Judge said. “A little bit of magic there, too.”