CHICAGO (AP) — Aaron Judge reached 300 home runs faster than any other player, going deep in the New York Yankees' 10-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Judge hit the mark in his 955th game and 3,431st at-bat with a three-run drive in the eighth inning.. The six-time All-Star and 2022 American League MVP drove a 3-0 up-and-in sinker Chad Kuhl into the White Sox bullpen in left for his major league-leading 43rd homer.
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New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge, right, celebrates with Alex Verdugo after after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge hits his 300th career home run, the fastest playing in MLB history to do so, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Ralph Kiner reached 300 homers in his 1,087th game, and Babe Ruth did in his 3,831st at-bat.
“What Aaron’s doing, it’s a select few in the history of the game that you start talking about these kinds of seasons he’s having,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Just a great player, great leader and I think everyone’s obviously really pumped in there that he got that done.”
Chicago had intentionally walked Juan Soto to bring up Judge, who had not homered on a 3-0 pitch since 2021.
Soto had homered in the first inning off Davis Martin, his fourth in two games and 34th this season.
Austin Wells followed Judge’s drive with one of his own, the eighth time this season New York hit back-to-back homers. He also capped a three-run seventh by driving in two with a single that put the Yankees on top 4-2.
Gavin Sheets hit his first big league opposite-field homer leading off the second against rookie Will Warren and singled in a run in the fourth for a 2-1 lead. But with a chance to take two of three from the AL East leaders, the White Sox lost for the 26th time in 28 games.
Chicago lost its 12th straight series and dropped to 29-93. The White Sox are on pace to finish 39-123, which would be the most losses since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders went 20-134.
Oswaldo Cabrera got the Yankees going when he singled leading off the seventh against Justin Anderson and became the first Yankee to score from second on a sacrifice fly since Jorge Posada against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 19, 2000, Cabrera did it when right fielder Dominic Fletcher ran down Alex Verdugo’s drive against Dominic Leone (0-2) in the gap, hanging onto the ball and rolling on the warning track after he tried to avoid a sliding Luis Robert Jr. Posada did it standing up when left fielder Ron Gant lost track of the outs.
Cabrera was “a little bit” surprised to see third-base coach Luis Rojas send him. “But at the same time, I was ready for it,” he said.
Soto walked and Judge doubled, putting runners on second and third, before Wells singled for a 4-2 lead.
Warren went five innings, allowing two runs and seven hits after being recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The right-hander struck out five and walked none in his third career start.
Tim Hill (4-0) got the win and Michael Tonkin pitched three innings for his second save.
Martin gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked three.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: New York placed 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (sprained left elbow) on the 10-day injured list and was waiting for more doctors to weigh in to determine whether he needs surgery, manager Aaron Boone said. Chisholm was hurt on a headfirst dive scoring in the fifth inning of Monday’s 12-2 loss to the White Sox. The 2022 All-Star downplayed the injury afterward, saying he wasn’t “super concerned about it.” ... RHP Lou Trivino (right elbow surgery) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset
White Sox: Leone exited with a sore right elbow.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (3-2, 4.70) gets the ball as the Yankees open a three-game series at Detroit on Friday. He has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his past five starts. Detroit had not announced a starter.
White Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet (6-9, 3.65 ERA) looks to bounce back from one of the worst starts of his career when the White Sox open a weekend series at Houston on Friday. The All-Star gave up a career-high four homers and matched one by surrendering seven runs in a 7-6 loss to the crosstown Cubs last week. RHP Spencer Arrighetti (5-10, 5.14) starts for Houston.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge, right, celebrates with Alex Verdugo after after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting his 300th career home run, the fastest player to do so in MLB history, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge hits his 300th career home run, the fastest playing in MLB history to do so, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The price of bitcoin surged to over $109,000 early Monday, just hours ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry bets he'll take action soon after returning to the White House.
Once a skeptic who said a few years ago that bitcoin “ seems like a scam,” Trump has embraced digital currencies with a convert’s zeal. He's launched a new cryptocurrency venture and vowed on the campaign trail to take steps early in his presidency to make the U.S. into the “crypto capital” of the world.
His promises including creating a U.S. crypto stockpile, enacting industry-friendly regulation and event appointing a crypto “czar” for his administration.
“You’re going to be very happy with me,” Trump told crypto-enthusiasts at a bitcoin conference last summer.
Bitcoin is the world’s most popular cryptocurrency and was created in 2009 as a kind of electronic cash uncontrolled by banks or governments. It and newer forms of cryptocurrencies have moved from the financial fringes to the mainstream in wild fits and starts.
The highly volatile nature of cryptocurrencies as well as their use by criminals, scammers and rogue nations, has attracted plenty of critics, who say the digital currencies have limited utility and often are just Ponzi schemes.
But crypto has so far defied naysayers and survived multiple prolonged price drops in its short lifespan. Wealthy players in the crypto industry, which felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, spent heavily to help Trump win November’s election. Bitcoin has surged in price since Trump's victory, topping $100,000 for the first time last month before briefly sliding down to about $90,000. On Friday, it rose about 5%. It jumped more than $9,000 early Monday, according to CoinDesk.
Two years ago, bitcoin was trading at about $20,000.
Trump’s picks for key cabinet and regulatory positions are stocked with crypto supporters, including his choice to lead the Treasury and Commerce departments and the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Key industry players held a first ever "Crypto Ball” on Friday to celebrate the first “crypto president." The event was sold out, with tickets costing several thousand dollars.
Here’s a look at some detailed action Trump might take in the early days of his administration:
As a candidate Trump promised that he would create a special advisory council to provide guidance on creating “clear” and “straightforward” regulations on crypto within the first 100 days of his presidency.
Details about the council and its membership are still unclear, but after winning November’s election, Trump named tech executive and venture capitalist David Sacks to be the administration’s crypto “czar.” Trump also announced in late December that former North Carolina congressional candidate Bo Hines will be the executive director of the “Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.”
At last year’s bitcoin conference, Trump told crypto supporters that new regulations “will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry.” Trump's pick to lead the SEC, Paul Atkins, has been a strong advocate for cryptocurrencies.
Crypto investors and companies chafed as what they said was a hostile Biden administration that went overboard in unfair enforcement actions and accounting policies that have stifled innovation in the industry — particularly at the hands of outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.
“As far as general expectations from the Trump Administration, I think one of the best things to bet on is a tone change at the SEC,” said Peter Van Valkenburgh, the executive director of the advocacy group Coin Center.
Gensler, who is set to leave as Trump takes office, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg that he’s proud of his office’s actions to police the crypto industry, which he said is “rife with bad actors.”
Trump also promised that as president he’ll ensure the U.S. government stockpiles bitcoin, much like it already does with gold. At the bitcoin conference earlier this summer, Trump said it the U.S. government would keep, rather than auction off, the billions of dollars in bitcoin it has seized through law enforcement actions.
Crypto advocates have posted a draft executive order online that would establish a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” as a “permanent national asset” to be administered by the Treasury Department through its Exchange Stabilization Fund. The draft order calls for the Treasury Department to eventually hold at least $21 billion in bitcoin.
Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming has proposed legislation mandating the U.S. government stockpile bitcoin, which advocates said would help diversify government holdings and hedge against financial risks. Critics say bitcoin’s volatility make it a poor choice as a reserve asset.
Creating such a stockpile would also be a “giant step in the direction of bitcoin becoming normalized, becoming legitimatized in the eyes of people who don’t yet see it as legitimate,” said Zack Shapiro, an attorney who is head of policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.
At the bitcoin conference earlier this year, Trump received loud cheers when he reiterated a promise to commute the life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road that used crypto for payments.
Ulbricht’s case has energized some crypto advocates and Libertarian activists, who believe government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road.
FILE - Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)