NEW YORK — Regardless of Shohei Ohtani’s status, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees need to start hitting if they’re going to climb back into this World Series.
New York has mustered five runs over 19 innings in two agonizing road losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers, batting .143 with runners in scoring position (2 for 14) and stranding 17 overall.
Maybe a return home will unleash a slumping Judge and the rest of these Bronx Bombers when the best-of-seven Series shifts to the Big Apple, where the Yankees went 3-1 during the American League playoffs.
“We’ve been through a lot of tough moments throughout the year. So I think we’ve been there,” slugger Juan Soto said. “We know how (to take) a couple punches in the face and just keep battling and keep going. We can go home and do our thing.”
With a home run from Freddie Freeman in each …