Stanton-ian Grand Slam In Bleachers Leads Yanks Over O's 7-0
NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam over the visitors' bullpen that landed in the left-bleachers 471 feet from home plate, leading the New York Yankees over Baltimore 7-0 Monday night, handing the Orioles their first loss this season.
New York was ahead 1-0 on Aaron Judge's fourth-inning homer when starter Jorge López (0-1) walked the bases loaded in the fifth inning and Shawn Armstrong forced in a run with a walk to slumping Aaron Hicks.
Stanton sent a 92 mph fastball soaring onto a fan gathering area called Frank's Red Hot Terrace for the longest home run of the young major league season and his eighth career slam.
Armstrong, making his season debut after coming off the paternity list, knew immediately where the ball was headed and crouched on the mound. Coming off a season-opening, three-game sweep in Boston, the Orioles never got close after that.
New York improved to 8-0 when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game, including three postseason wins.
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (1-0) allowed four hits in six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Montgomery induced 14 swings and misses among 73 pitches, including eight on changeups and four on curveballs. With another year to strengthen since Tommy John surgery in June 2018, he reached 94.5 mph, up from an average of 92.6 mph last season.
Luis Cessa pitched two hitless innings, and Aroldis Chapman struck out three around a walk in his season debut after completing a two-game suspension for throwing at Tampa Bay's Mike Brosseau last season.
Baltimore had been seeking its first 4-0 start since 2017 but instead wound up with a familiar result. Yankees have won 11 straight home games against the Orioles since May 2019, matching New York's team record, outscoring Baltimore 69-28.
A crowd of 9,008 -- limited to 20% by coronavirus restrictions -- came out for New York's first night game of this season.
Lopez gave up four runs, three hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. Orioles pitchers walked seven.
Judge reached out for a thigh-high fastball for his homer. The 344-foot, opposite-field drive to the right-field short porch would have been a home run in only two other big league ballparks, Houston and Seattle. Judge became the second-fastest to 120 career homers by reaching the figure in 428 games, behind only Ryan Howard's 391.
Judge especially feasts on the Orioles, hitting 18 home runs against them in 53 games.
Cedric Mullins was 1 for 4 and is 10 for 17 (,588). He was 5 for 5 with three doubles for the Orioles on Sunday.
DEBUTS
Ryan McKenna made his major league debut for the Orioles in right and went 0 for 2 with a walk, Mac Sceroler, a nephew of Ben McDonald taken from Cincinnati in the winter meeting draft, relieved with the bases loaded in the sixth and threw a called third strike past Judge and retired Hicks on a popup, dropping him to 1 for 15. Sceroler pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
POWER OUTAGE
Baltimore failed to homer in the first four games for the first time since 2001.
HEY, BABY
Armstrong's wife, Sarah, gave birth to Declan Cutter Armstrong last Wednesday.
DOWN BELOW
Left-hander Mike Montgomery, released by the Mets, will finalize a minor league contract with the Yankees if he passes a physical.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: LF Austin Hays was placed on the 10-day injured list, a day after coming out of a win at Boston with a sore right hamstring. RHP Cole Sulser was optioned to the alternate training site at Double-A Bowie. RHP Shawn Armstrong was activated from the paternity list, and McKenna was recalled from Bowie.
UP NEXT
RHP Gerrit Cole (0-0), coming off a no-decision on opening day against Toronto, starts for the Yankees against RHP Dean Kremer (0-0), who will be making his season debut.
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