Yankees takeaways from Saturday’s 8-3 win over Orioles, including Aaron Judge’s 20th home run
Aaron Judge launched his first home run since returning from the IL as the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 8-3, on Saturday night in Baltimore.
Takeaways
– Judge was in the lineup for the second consecutive day on Saturday, but this time he was in right field. In his first at-bat, Judge just missed a home run when he launched a pitch to the right-center field warning track.
He didn’t miss it in his second at-bat, launching a two-run shot to center field to put the Yankees out in front 3-2 in the third. This was Judge’s 20th home run of the season, which leads the team. It was also his 22nd career homer at Camden Yards, his highest total in any visiting ballpark. He’s also hit four career homers off Tyler Wells, who left Saturday’s game in the third after just 63 pitches.
The reigning AL MVP finished 3-for-5 with two runs and a strikeout. He was replaced in the outfield by Greg Allen in the seventh inning. Manager Aaron Boone said that he’d give his slugger Sunday off.
– Giancarlo Stanton was positioned behind Judge in the lineup and hit a rocket over the left-field wall to put the Yankees up 1-0. He flied out in his second at-bat, but in the fourth inning with men on first and second and two outs, the slugger grounded out to end the threat.
Stanton would pick up a single late and finish 2-for-5 and two runs. The Yankees are now 30-3, including playoffs, when Stanton and Judge homer in the same game
Anthony Rizzo batted behind the captain in Friday’s game and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. The batters behind Judge will need to step up if the Yankees hope to score more runs and give their slugger better pitches to swing at.
– Clarke Schmidt came into Saturday’s game giving up three runs or fewer in his last 11 starts. That stretch has put him in contention to stay in the rotation when Nestor Cortes returns in August. His impressive streak also continued Saturday.
Schmidt would get through a tough Orioles lineup but it wasn’t easy. He ran into some trouble in the second after a leadoff homer by Ryan Mountcastle. A second run came around to score after a two-out infield single by Ramon Urias. He got out of another jam in the fifth when he gave up a run on a force out but nothing more.
That fifth inning pushed his pitch count way up and he was done after five. Schmidt’s final line: 5 IP (96 pitches/57 strikes), three runs, five hits, one walk, two strikeouts.
-The biggest surprise in Saturday’s game was Kyle Higashioka. With the Yankees not getting much production from the catcher’s spot this season, the now-everyday catcher had himself a day in Baltimore.
He went 3-for-4 with a solo shot and two runs. All of hits led to runs and really helped stave off the Orioles.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a game-breaking hit in the sixth. After back-to-back-to-back singles from Judge, Stanton and Rizzo, IKF had a 10-pitch at-bat that resulted in a bases-clearing double to put the Yankees up 8-3. The utilityman finished 1-for-3 with two walks.
Highlights
What’s Next
The Yankees look to up their three-game series with the Royals on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m..
Luis Severino (2-4, 6.46 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Yanks. The Orioles will send out Dean Kremer (10-4, 4.59 ERA).
