### Aaron Judge Faces Pressure as Yankees Fall to Dodgers in World Series

In the aftermath of New York's 4-2 defeat to the Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series, Yankees captain Aaron Judge found himself under scrutiny. Encircled by a sea of cameras and microphones inside the tight visitors' clubhouse at Dodger Stadium, Judge addressed the media, visibly sweating under the harsh TV lights.

Despite his discomfort, Judge maintained his composure and claimed responsibility for the Yankees' poor start in the series. "I definitely gotta step up. I gotta do my job," he said in his signature low tone. Judge has struggled at the plate, going just 1-for-9 with six strikeouts through two games, and is yet to deliver a hit with runners on base. The Dodgers have effectively exploited his weaknesses, throwing an unusual amount of breaking pitches outside the strike zone.

On Saturday, Judge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, making him only the sixth player in history to strike out three times in consecutive World Series games. This uncharacteristic slump has been a setback for the player who dominated the regular season, posting some of the best offensive statistics in the last two decades.

Judge isn't the sole Yankee facing difficulties. The bottom three hitters in the lineup—Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, and Alex Verdugo—have collectively managed just one hit in 24 at-bats. Wells, a standout rookie, particularly struggled in Game 2, succumbing to fastballs down the middle on three separate occasions.

Nevertheless, the burden of responsibility lies heavily on Judge. Critics and fans alike expect more from the face of the franchise. Amidst this criticism, teammate Anthony Rizzo offered words of support, describing Judge as a "brick wall" and expressing confidence that he would overcome this challenging phase.

The Yankees have advanced through the American League this postseason, largely without major contributions from Judge, who hit a league-leading 58 home runs this year but has only homered twice in October. Stellar performances from other stars like Juan Soto and ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton have kept the Yankees on track, compensating for Judge's slump.

While Judge has a history of overcoming slow starts—such as his relatively underwhelming April this season, which he turned around to finish with historic numbers—the World Series demands immediate results. Both Judge and the Yankees need him to deliver soon as the series continues.

Amid these high stakes, Judge has not shown signs of panic and his teammates still believe in their leader. The question remains whether he can recalibrate in time to aid his team when it matters most. The pressure is immense, and the spotlight has never been brighter.