#Yankees’ win over Braves includes Aaron Judge false alarm

Giancarlo Stanton left a game this weekend for a pinch hitter and went directly to the injured list with a strained hamstring.

So when Mike Tauchman surfaced from the dugout in the sixth inning Tuesday night to hit for Aaron Judge, the empty Yankee Stadium seats whispered to each other, “Is Judge hurt?’’

Considering the Yankees were leading by five runs in a ballpark that yields home runs and were coming off a day of rest on Monday — following a 2-5 road trip — and have another dark day Thursday, the timing of the move was curious.

Judge watched the inning end, took his glove and headed for the clubhouse.

Yet, after the Yankees bludgeoned Braves pitching in the first five innings and overcame some sloppy defense late to cop a 9-6 win, Aaron Boone said removing Judge was done for precautionary reasons and that the right fielder wasn’t injured.

“Coming off four days on the turf [in St. Petersburg, Fla.] and with a little bit of leverage there, just trying to be smart with these guys. [Judge] really hasn’t had that day down and I want to make sure we are being smart with everyone,’’ said Boone when asked if Judge was OK.

Judge sure looked OK in the fifth when he launched his ninth homer to right field to extend the Yankees’ lead to 7-0. It went to 8-0 when Aaron Hicks scored as Mike Ford banged into a double play.

With Stanton gone for an unknown period of time, Luke Voit hit cleanup for the second straight game and crushed a three-run homer off right-handed starter Touki Toussaint in the first inning. Three more came in the third when Ford doubled in a pair that made it 6-0 and gave the night the look of a laugher. Ford added an RBI double in the seventh.

With Jordan Montgomery not allowing a run through five it looked like a stress-free night. However, Montgomery gave up a three-run homer to Marcell Ozuna in the sixth, a DJ LeMahieu fielding error led to a run in the seventh and Gleyber Torres’ fielding miscue helped the visitors plate two runs in the eighth when Chad Green was summoned to get the final two outs. Zack Britton worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save in six chances.

“I really just went after them. I trusted my pitches better,’’ Montgomery said when asked the difference between Tuesday’s start and his previous one when he gave up five runs and six hits in four innings to the Phillies last Thursday in Philadelphia. “Threw my cutter better and executed a lot more fastballs and changeups late. The offense stepped up and really got a lot of runs for me.’’

Those runs glossed over the frigid bats belonging to Hicks, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner and Torres. That foursome combined to go 1-for-13 and the hit was Hicks’ infield single in the third inning. Sanchez did hit a ball hard off Toussaint’s right foot but was thrown out at first. He also was charged with a passed ball.

With the lead down to 9-6 in the eighth and Tyler Flowers on second with one out, Boone turned to Green for the final two outs and the right-hander struck out Nick Markakis and ended the threat by getting Dansby Swanson on a grounder to Torres.

With an 8-0 lead early, Boone likely wasn’t thinking he would use Adam Ottavino, Green and Britton late, but that is how it unfolded.

“We are in pretty good shape, especially with the off day coming up again Thursday,’’ Boone said of his pen. “We obviously didn’t play our best game, we got a little sloppy in the second half of the game. But a really good start by Monty and we swung the bats really well.’’

And according to Boone, didn’t lose Judge to an injury.