NEW YORK – In the middle of the celebration, Gleyber Torres got into trouble. Aaron Judge had finally hit his first home run of the postseason, a towering blast that cleared the wall in center field. But as the ball cut through the darkness of the night, Torres, leading off from first base, did something peculiar. He signed up.

When the ball finally went out, Yankee Stadium erupted as it gave the New York Yankees four runs of breathing room in what became a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday in Game 2 of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. . The Yankees are just two wins away from reaching their first World Series since 2009.

But Judge was still surprised, even hours later. He nearly passed Torres as he rounded first base on the two-run shot in the seventh inning. Did Torres really doubt that Judge — who hit an MLB-best 58 home runs in the regular season — had put enough of his 6-foot-4, 282-pound frame into the swing to get the ball out of the yard?

“He did that earlier this year when I hit (a home run),” Judge said with a smile. “So then I was quite angry. I was quite angry again.”

In the dugout, Torres’ teammates let him hear it.

“I’m a little disappointed in Gleyber because he didn’t know Judge’s pop there,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We spoke to him a lot about that.”

“I feel a little embarrassed,” Torres admitted.

There’s rarely time for laughs during the playoffs, with each pitch more important than the next. Judge’s home run made the Yankees exhale — for so many reasons.

But mostly because it showed Judge how important it is for him to be the driving force that takes them the rest of the way to the World Series.

“It’s always a matter of time with Aaron,” manager Aaron Boone said.

The prevailing thought was that if the Yankees were to play deep into October, they would need Judge to continue production, almost certainly winning him his second AL Most Valuable Player Award.

Until Tuesday, that had not happened. Offensively, he had struggled, hitting .133 (2-for-15) through the first five playoff games, although he did draw six walks. The theme of not taking advantage of the opportunity in the postseason, which had been a major stain on his otherwise illustrious career, had continued.

But the judge can change that.

In his first at-bat, he lifted a 100-mph pop-up that seemed to scream even faster to the earth, and Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio dropped it, allowing Torres to score from third base and gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead. the first. Then the Guardians surprised in the second inning with an intentional walk for Juan Soto, loading the bases for Judge against starting pitcher Tanner Bibee. Judge made a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Rizzo and make it a 3-0 game.

After flying out in the fifth, Judge hit his first homer of the playoffs — and it took some of the burden off the Yankees’ shoulders, allowing the bullpen to operate with a significant lead.

And it encouraged the Yankees, who were desperate for their captain to join the party.

“It’s so easy to root for him,” Rizzo said. “In these games it really doesn’t matter who it is (or) how excited we are for everyone. But when Aaron does things, it’s extra special because he’s such a special person.”

The judge said the expectations placed on him did not weigh him down.

“Don’t make every moment too big, man,” he said. “It’s still the same game we play and have been playing all our lives. So that’s how I try to treat it.”

Only things are different now. Judge has been to the ALCS three times before: in 2017, 2019 and 2022. The Yankees lost in all three games. He knows the stakes are higher than ever, especially since he’s never before gone two games for nothing in a championship series after coming in as the top seed.

Judge has already placed himself in the pantheon of some of the most talented and productive Yankees of all time. He already has one MVP award. In 2022, he set the AL single-season home run record with 62. He is the team’s 16th official captain, a Rookie of the Year winner and a six-time All-Star.

But he’s not a World Series champion. That matters.

The only thing missing from Aaron Judge’s illustrious Yankee career is a World Series championship. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)

“It doesn’t matter what you do during a 162-game schedule,” Yankees CEO Derek Jeter said on Old-Timer’s Day in August. “It all comes down to the World Series. If you win a championship, it’s going to be a failure.”

The Yankees are off on Wednesday and will use the day to have a light workout before flying to Cleveland for Thursday’s Game 5. Progressive Field has not been kind to Judge throughout his career. In twenty games there, he hit only .214 (15-for-70) with two homeruns.

A silver lining? The Guardians are expected to start left-hander Matthew Boyd in Game 3, and in 11 career at-bats against him, Judge has a home run, two total hits and five walks.

“I’ve been on the losing side of a lot of postseason games, and they’re tough,” Judge said. “I’ve been on the other side of some good wins. All that matters is that we went out and took care of business, and we have to move on to the next one.”

And when it comes to home runs, Judge has to hit his next one, and the next one after that. It’s time for him to become the driving force that puts the ALCS aside and takes the Yankees to the World Series.

(Top photo of judge rounding the bases: Luke Hales / Getty Images)