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Aaron Judge heads to the Yankees' dugout after striking out against Andrew Heaney in the first inning.

Throughout his major-league career, Andrew Heaney has had a massive amount of success against Aaron Judge. Whether he realizes it or not. 

Heaney entered Sunday's start against the Yankees having allowed just three hits -- one home run -- and posting eight strikeouts in 13 career meetings against Judge since 2018. In helping lead the Pirates to a 5-4 victory at PNC Park, Heaney continued his stellar results against the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, striking him out twice and inducing a softly-hit chopper back to the mound. 

"I remember the homers," Heaney said with a smile before I informed him that he's only allowed one in his career. "Felt like a lot. I'll believe you. I think that's just kind of randomness. He's obviously a great hitter. You just try and pick and choose your spots with him." 

Heaney's success in his second start in a Pirates uniform, and first at his new home ballpark, wasn't just limited to the best hitter on one of the league's best-hitting teams. He was dominant in allowing a singular run on five hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts against a Yankees team that ranks second among major-league teams in runs scored (76), batting average (.285) and on-base percentage (.365), and first in slugging percentage (.585), OPS (.950) and home runs (25). 

Heaney's ability to tame the Yankees' potent lineup allowed the Pirates to salvage a game in a three-game series in which the visitors outscored the home team by a sizable 23-13 margin. 

"I think we've seen over the first 10 days, that's a very potent lineup. They're averaging about nine runs per game," Derek Shelton said. "That's what Andrew Heaney does. He mixes and matches. He keeps people off balance, and that was seven really strong innings. To go through that lineup the way he did with one run, it was extremely impressive."

Heaney credits his 21st career double-digit strikeout game -- first since June 30 of last year -- to the game plan he was able to develop with Joey Bart. Their intention was to attack, mix things up and keep hitters off-balance, three tasks they were able to accomplish more often than not. 

"It felt like his rhythm and his pace, his attack was on," Bart said. "We were kind of reading and reacting as the game went on, just seeing what we saw. He did it. He was throwing the ball where he needed to throw the ball. He was getting chase when he needed chase. Just felt like things were flowing really, really well. He threw some wrinkles in there, and it paid off."

Heaney, who threw 67 of his 100 pitches for strikes and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced, used every weapon in his five-pitch arsenal. He kept hitters guessing with a usage of 39 fastballs, 21 curveballs -- including four clocked at an average of 71.3 mph -- 20 changeups, 13 sliders and seven sinkers. He generated 16 whiffs, including six with his slider and four with his fastball, and finished off four of his strikeouts with the slider. 

"Messing around with some of the sidearm stuff to the lefties, mixing the curveball in late. I think those are things that I'd like to do more of," Heaney said. "Sometimes it kind of comes later. It's not as many times as I'd like to or it's maybe not the right hitter to do it to. And I thought this was a good team and some good guys to do it to. So just wanted to do it kind of early and then really expand on it later in the game.

"Thought we did a good job. Kind of didn't make some good pitches early in that first. Didn't do a good job, two two-strike hits there. And then just kind of opened up the playbook a little bit, got into a good rhythm, and just kept it going."