Aaron Judge continued to shine for the New York Yankees by hitting his 53rd home run of the season, driving in three runs, as the Yankees secured a commanding 6-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. This win allowed the Yankees to maintain at least a share of the top spot in the AL East standings. The victory, marking their seventh consecutive win, came as the Yankees tied a season high, further cementing their strong hold in the division standings.
Judge’s powerful performance included a ninth home run in a stretch of 16 games, striking early in the game against Baltimore’s starting pitcher, Tomoyuki Sugano. Following Judge’s lead, teammates Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan McMahon contributed solo home runs in the second inning. The pairing of Judge and Stanton hitting home runs in the same game has been a recipe for success for the Yankees, who hold a record of 52-7 in such games.
Adding to his performance, Judge delivered a two-run single after manager Aaron Boone’s ejection for disputing a call with plate umpire Ramon DeJesus. Cody Bellinger later capped the offensive effort with a sacrifice fly. On the mound, rookie Cam Schlittler impressed by allowing just two hits over seven innings, further solidifying the pitching rotation as the Yankees eye postseason play.
However, the game wasn’t without its setbacks as second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffered an injury after being hit by a pitch. Initial x-rays were negative, but Chisholm will undergo a CT scan to assess the extent of his condition.
For the Orioles, Coby Mayo managed to put a dent in the Yankees’ lead with a home run in the eighth inning, but it wasn’t enough for Baltimore, who fell to a 4-8 record against New York for the season. Sugano struggled, allowing four runs in just over four innings on the mound.
This performance by the Yankees, particularly with Judge at the helm, provides a boost of enthusiasm as the team looks to close out the regular season strongly and prepare for the challenges of playoff baseball. The resilience and offensive firepower exhibited suggest promising prospects as the Yankees aim to harness their momentum for a potential deep postseason run.