NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2 on Saturday.
"Excited to get that one out of the way," Judge said. "Me and (Aaron Hicks) were kind of racing -- he's about to get to 100 and I was trying to get to 200, so we had a little race going on."
The 6-7 slugger's 200th home run came in his 671st career game, behind just Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, who achieved the feat in 2009 in 658 games.
Judge, who gave his first home run ball to his parents, was able to get his 200th from a "good family" without a big negotiation. He believes this one will go to his parents, as well.
Judge has 42 home runs this season and is on pace for 67. He is tied with Sammy Sosa and two behind Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire for the most before Aug. 1 in MLB history. Bonds holds the season record with 73 home runs in 2001.
ANGELS 9, RANGERS 7 David Fletcher and Luis Rengifo both hit two-run doubles in a five-run eighth inning as Los Angeles rallied to beat Texas.
BLUE JAYS 5, TIGERS 3 Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the sixth inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scored twice and Toronto beat Detroit for its 11th win in 14 games.
MARINERS 5, ASTROS 4 Abraham Toro pinch-hit for All-Star Julio Rodriguez and delivered a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning as Seattle rallied past AL-West leading Houston.
RAYS 6, GUARDIANS 4 Brandon Lowe and Yandy Diaz homered as Tampa Bay snapped a two-game skid with a win over Cleveland. Corey Kluber (7-6) allowed four runs and eight hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings.
WHITE SOX 3, ATHLETICS 2 Gavin Sheets hit a tying, two-run home run in the seventh inning and scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the ninth to lift Chicago over Oakland.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BRAVES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 2 William Contreras homered twice, Ian Anderson (9-6) allowed one hit in six scoreless innings and Atlanta beat Arizona.
GIANTS 5, CUBS 4 Luis Gonzalez and Joey Bart each hit home runs as San Francisco held off Chicago.
METS 4, MARLINS 0 Carlos Carrasco (11-4) earned his 100th career win, pitching four-hit ball into the eighth inning as New York beat Miami for its fifth straight victory.
NATIONALS 7, CARDINALS 6 Josh Bell hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning and Washington rallied to beat St. Louis.
PHILLIES 2, PIRATES 1 (10) Philadelphia's Didi Gregorious raced home when an ambitious throw from first to third by Pittsburgh's Michael Chavis leading off the top of the 10th inning sailed wide of the target, helping the Phillies edge the Pirates.
ROCKIES 5, DODGERS 3 Kyle Freeland (6-7) outpitched Clayton Kershaw (7-3), and Brendan Rodgers had three hits as Colorado snapped a six-game skid against Los Angeles.
INTERLEAGUE
BREWERS 6, RED SOX 4 Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run home run over the Green Monster, Eric Lauer pitched five innings of one-run ball for his first victory in over a month and Milwaukee sent Boston to its 13th loss in 16 games.
REDS 8, ORIOLES 2 Tyler Mahle (5-7) recovered from a rocky start to pitch well in a potential trade deadline audition, Joey Votto hit one of Cincinnati's three home runs and the Reds beat Baltimore.
TWINS 7, PADRES 4 All-Star Byron Buxton hit a tying home run in the fourth inning off Joe Musgrove, and Carlos Correa gave Minnesota some breathing room with a two-run shot during a five-run eighth that helped the Twins beat San Diego.
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, July 30, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)