Aaron Judge becomes fastest player to hit 350 homers

Another day at the ballpark, another record for Aaron Judge.

The American League MVP – and two-time winner of the award – went 3-for-4 in Saturday afternoon’s 5-2 loss to the Cubs, an output that included a two-run homer in the ninth inning.

The blast gave Judge 35 homers this season and career home run No. 350, making him the fastest player in MLB history to reach that mark, doing so in his 1,088th career game. Judge surpassed Mark McGwire, who accomplished the feat in nearly 200 more games (1,280).

“I don’t know what to say about it because I just think he’s playing in a different league,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I just had a moment with him in there [the clubhouse], just congratulating him like, ‘that’s a pretty big number along the way.’ The fact that it’s 200 [fewer] games is just a testament to his greatness.”

Judge, who also doubled twice in the game, is hitting .358 with those 35 homers, 81 RBIs and a 1.204 OPS.

Per his nature – which has been the case since his 52-homer AL Rookie of the Year season in 2017 – Judge downplayed the individual achievement.

“I’ve got nothing, to be honest,” Judge said of his reaction. “It would have been great if we got a win today when you do something like that. But I’ve been surrounded by a lot of great teammates, been on some good teams, so they’ve really put me in the best position to go out there and perform at my best. So it’s really just a shoutout to all the teammates I’ve had over the years.”

Jazz ready to rock

Jazz Chisholm Jr., the most outspoken Yankee in the clubhouse when it comes to just about any topic, unsurprisingly is confident going into Monday night’s Home Run Derby in Atlanta.

“I love my chances,” Chisholm said with laugh before Saturday’s game.

Not that Chisholm, who has 17 homers, is guaranteeing anything.

He reiterated what he said on Friday: he’s participating in the event, to which he was invited earlier in the week, to have “fun” more than anything else.

“Just try not to embarrass myself,” Chisholm said Saturday, laughing again.

The lefty-swinging second baseman, who at 5-11 and 184 pounds does not have the classic slugger’s physique, said he is not concerned about injuring himself during the competition trying to hit the ball 450 feet. Chisholm spent time earlier this year on the IL with a right oblique strain and in recent weeks has been dealing with right shoulder soreness, though that hasn’t kept him from playing and it is not believed to be significant.

“I don’t swing as hard as everybody else, that’s the best part about it. Just flicking my barrel out there,” Chisholm said. “If we get to 30 seconds left I might hit one as far as I can, but I’m not going to overdo it…I’m going to do well. I don’t have a doubt in my mind about me doing well. Winning it is the hardest thing about it. Hopefully, I hit last in every round.”

Extra bases

Clarke Schmidt underwent Tommy John surgery on Friday in Atlanta to repair a UCL tear in his right elbow. “I haven’t talked to Clarke yet but the report I know, everything seemed to go well and he was in recovery,” Boone said….Luis Gil, who started the season on the IL with a right lat strain, is slated to start a rehab assignment Sunday with Double-A Somerset, setting up the reigning AL Rookie of the Year for a return, with no setbacks, within the next 3-4 weeks…Cody Bellinger, who will get strong consideration for an All-Star bid if another position player on the AL team pulls out for any reasons, went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games. Bellinger is slashing .383/.396/.681 in his last 22 games.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.