WATCH: Aaron Judge robs Shohei Ohtani of another HR at Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK - Should the American League home run race become a close contest between Aaron Judge and Shoehi Ohtani, we'll recall what happened in Wednesday night's first inning at Yankee Stadium.

That's when Judge, playing center field for the Yankees, robbed the Angels' amazing star of a solo homer.

Judge made a circus catch, too, since he had to use his bare hand to secure the play.

Batting in the No. 2 spot in the lineup and facing Yankees starter Jhony Brito for the first time, Ohtani sent a towering drive to center, where Judge moved back and timed his leap at the wall.

Extending his glove over the fence in front of Monument Park, Judge felt the ball hit off the heel of his glove and bounce in the air.

Immediately, Judge grabbed it in his bare hand, held it for the umpires to see, and slumped with his back against the wall in relief.

Ohtani, who had rounded second base, veered straight for the Angels' dugout while the Stadium fans saluted Judge with familiar chants of "M-V-P, M-V-P!''

"If I was a good outfielder, I would have caught it on the first try,'' Judge said with a smile after the Yankees' 3-2, 10-inning win. "A little juggling act out there, but we made the play. It's tough kind of timing those up.''

In the Yankees' half of the first, Judge - the reigning AL MVP, over the runner-up Ohtani - smashed his sixth homer of the year, a two-run shot off right-hander Griffin Canning.

A pending free agent and a perennial MVP candidate, Ohtani belted his fourth homer of the season in Tuesday night's series-opening 5-2 Angels win at the Stadium.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Aaron Judge robs Shohei Ohtani of home run at Yankee Stadium