New York Yankee slugger and team captain Aaron Judge gets around a San Francisco Giant pitcher Logan Webb pitch for Judge’s first home run of the 2023 season at Yankee Stadium in New York on Thu Mar 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK– Aaron Judge who was a strong candidate to join the San Francisco Giants in the off season and later re-signed with the New York Yankees slugged an opening day home run in the bottom of the first inning against his would have been team on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium for a 5-0 win.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in his post game presser that it was one of his lowest darkest places that he had been when Judge was considering signing with the Giants. Whether Judges decision came because the Yankees were offering more money or he thought being with the Yankees would do more for the future of his career Boone was happy with the outcome that he decided to say in New York, “One of my lowest, darkest places this winter was when I thought maybe it was in jeopardy that he was coming back,” Boone said “One of the darkest places I went was picturing him on that third-base line in a Giants uniform on opening day.”

Judge during opening day introduction got a nice ovation from the New York crowd acknowledging the crowd of 46,172 before the game. As Judge came to the plate he delighted that crowd with the first home run of the Yankee season with a 422 blast that landed just above the monuments in centerfield in the net above.

Judge said after the game that all along he really wanted to stay in New York and that during the off season it was kicking the tires of sorts when he went to San Francisco as a free agent. He made clear after the game his heart was not playing in his native Northern California but to stay as a Yankee,  “I didn’t want to go anywhere. I was pretty vocal about that from the beginning and then you got to go through the free-agency process. But all in all this is where I wanted to be and I’m happy I’m here and it’s tough to think about being anywhere else.”

Yankee starter Gerrit Cole pitched shutout for six innings before being lifted striking out 11 Giants hitters and surrendering three hits and two walks. Giants starter Logan Webb came out strong striking out five out six Yankee hitters going six innings but was charged for four runs including Judge’s first inning blast.

Cole said that Judge’s first inning home run was a tone setter for the Yankees and said that the home run was a wake up call early in the game and that he came to play. Cole who walked Giants lead off hitter LeMonte Wade Jr to start the game settled down after the game to pick up his first win of the season.

The Giants will go back to the drawing board on Saturday after taking Friday off and will start right hander Alex Cobb against the Yankees right hander Clarke Schmidt for a 1:05 pm first pitch at Yankee Stadium.