Aaron Judges return proves to be a winning one as Yankees roll past Rockies

Camera operators flocked to the outskirts of the Yankees dugout steps, forming two parallel lines that allowed enough space for the main attraction to squeeze between them.They trained their devices on the tunnel below and waited, the only thing missing was a red carpet.And then the superstar that is Aaron Judge, attempting to repress a grin, jogged up the steps, darted through the flashes and made his way to the batting cage to a few cheers from the handful of fans already in the Stadium several hours before Tuesday’s game.

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.Manager Aaron Boone did not bother suppressing his emotions, wearing a wide smile as he watched his captain take a round of batting practice that seemed normal.It was not normal, of course, because the scene had not been seen since May.

But exactly 100 days after he played his last game, Judge returned to the Yankees and brought their World Series hopes with him.He might not have played exactly like Aaron Judge, but he looked enough like himself to inspire hope in what became a 5-3 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 46,211 who welcomed their captain back with a standing ovation — and even a few cheers after a strikeout, simply happy to be able to root for him again — on an 0-for-3 night.Judge played six innings in right field and was not tested before he was removed for Heliot Ramos, who later smacked a three-run home run in the eighth.Just about everything was encouraging for the Yankees until the ninth, when Jazz Chisholm Jr.was pulled after making a throw to first base — there was no immediate announcement concerning Chisholm, who had dived into second base headfirst in the previous inning — and when Tim Hill allowed a two-run homer to Hunter Goodman that necessitated another David Bednar appearance.Otherwise, the Yankees rode Ramos’ blast, enough offense and Cam Schlittler’s seven ...