He broke character halfway up the first-base line, before the baseball he bludgeoned found a home within some right-field seats. Aaron Judge turned toward his dugout, flipped his bat, fired off an expletive and epitomized the ethos of a ballclub he captains.

Team USA hung on to defeat Mexico 5-3 Monday in their Pool B matchup at the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Houston, Texas.

New York Yankees slugger Judge hammered a two-run shot to right field off Mexico pitcher Jesus Cruz to give the USA a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning in the Pool B clash.