Judge ties A-Rod on Yankees home run list in win over Braves

ATLANTA — Aaron Judge hit his 36th home run of the season and tied Alex Rodriguez for sixth place in Yankees history as New York defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-2 Sunday.

Judge’s solo homer in the first inning was his 351st with the Yankees, matching A-Rod and behind Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536), Lou Gehrig (493), Joe DiMaggio (361) and Yogi Berra (358).

“Just an incredible honor, especially, you know, growing up watching A-Rod for so many years and watching what he did in pinstripes,” Judge said. “He’s a legend. One of the best ever players.”

Judge’s homer on Sunday was his 36th of the season. He is two behind MLB leader Cal Raleigh of the Mariners, who won the Home Run Derby in Atlanta on Monday.

The homer traveled 409 feet to right field off Grant Holmes, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. It was his eighth home run in his last 17 games.

Judge also scored from first on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s double in the seventh and finished 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Marcus Stroman (2-1) worked six strong innings in his fourth start since returning from a knee injury. He gave up one run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks in his longest outing of the season.

Paul Goldschmidt was 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored, and Giancarlo Stanton was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a solo home run, his 13th, in the ninth off Devin Williams, who earned his 14th save for the Yankees.

Matt Olson hit a 442-foot homer, his 18th, that hit the top of the Chop House in right field in the sixth inning for the Braves’ other run.

Holmes (4-9) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings.

Trailing 2-0 in the third, the Braves put the first two runners on with the top of the order coming up. Jurickson Profar popped a bunt up to third baseman Jorbit Vivas, and Olson hit into a double play to end the threat.

The win kept the Yankees within three games of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East ahead of a three-game series in Toronto starting Monday.

Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (10-6, 3.08) will open a three-game series in Toronto against RHP Kevin Gausman (6-7, 4.19) on Monday. Braves RHP Bryce Elder (3-6. 5.65) will oppose Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (4-3, 4.11) in the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta on Monday.