Judge On A Roll As Yankees Blow Out Orioles
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie sensation Aaron Judge hit two more home runs, including a drive nearly 500 feet that cleared the distant bleachers at Yankee Stadium and sent New York romping past Baltimore 14-3 Sunday for its fifth straight win.
Even by his lofty feats, it was quite a power show by the 6-foot-7 Judge. He leads the majors with 21 homers and tops the AL with 47 RBIs and a .344 batting average.
In the sixth, Judge launched a mammoth shot to left-center field that was estimated at 495 feet, the longest homer in the majors this season, according to Statcast. The ball bounced off the bare hands of a fan standing behind a fence beyond the back row of the bleachers.
Then again, out that far, who could expect to need a glove for a souvenir?
Judge lined a drive into the right-center seats in his next at-bat, and also doubled earlier.
The 25-year-old Judge leads all American League players in fan voting for starting spots in the All-Star Game. The outfielder enhanced his credentials by going 4 for 4 with a walk, scoring four times and driving in three.
Starlin Castro homered and drove in five runs for the AL East leaders. Gary Sanchez also connected, capping a five-run first inning off Kevin Gausman (3-5).
The Yankees scored at least eight runs for the fifth straight game, matching the team's best streak since 1939. New York swept the three-game series, and outscored the Orioles and Boston 55-9 during this five-game run.
Adam Warren (2-1) got credited with the win, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Gausman gave up eight hits, seven runs and walked six in 3 1/3 innings. He walked Matt Holliday with one out to load the bases in the first and Castro began his big offensive day with a two-run single. Sanchez followed with his 10th homer.
The Orioles, playing without injured All-Star third baseman Manny Machado (strained left wrist) for the fourth straight game, chased New York starter Chad Green in the third with back-to-back doubles that made it 5-1.
Baltimore hit two more doubles, giving them four in a row, off reliever Chasen Shreve that reduced the Yankees' lead to 5-3.
Castro grounded into a bases-loaded double play that ended the second. Holliday hit a two-run single in the fourth.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Yankees pitching prospect Domingo German made his major league debut in the seventh. He gave up two hits, walked a batter and struck out one without allowing a run in the final 2 2/3 innings.
COMING AND GOING
Baltimore added some fresh arms to its bullpen prior to Sunday's series finale, recalling Logan Verrett and selecting the contract of Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk. They both gave up a home run to Judge.
To make room for both right-handed relievers, Stephen Crichton was optioned to Triple-A and Edwin Jackson, a 15-year vet, was designated for assignment.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: All-Star closer Zach Britton, sidelined with a forearm strain since May 6 (retroactive to May 5), will throw a bullpen session again on Monday and face live batting practice Thursday. Manager Buck Showalter said Britton could then begin a rehab assignment with Class A Aberdeen on June 19.
Yankees: Jacoby Ellsbury, on the disabled list since May 25 due to a concussion and neck sprain, is scheduled to join Double-A Trenton, perhaps on Tuesday, according to manager Joe Girardi. Ellsbury injured himself slamming into a wall while making a catch back on May 24. "I think what you try to do is you try to find out is there one activity that brings back the headache," Girardi said. "If you increase it all together, runs more, hits more, throws more, you can't tell what the issue is."
UP NEXT
Orioles: Wade Miley (2-3, 3.27) tries to halt Baltimore's four-game losing streak Monday night in Chicago as he takes the mound in the opener of a four-game set against the White Sox. The left-handed pitcher lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his last outing last Wednesday against Pittsburgh, allowing four runs and eight hits.
Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka (5-6, 6.55) starts the first game of a seven-game West Coast road trip Monday when he faces the Angels. Tanaka was scheduled to start Sunday but got an extra day off in the midst of the toughest stretch of his career, in which he's lost five straight start (27 runs in 22 2/3 innings, including 11 homers).
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