BALTIMORE — At least for one night, all was right with the Yankees’ world again, or at least right enough.
Aaron Judge looked like his typical self, and he didn’t have to do it alone.
Sparked by a three-hit night from Judge, including his first home run since returning from the injured list, the Yankees’ offense broke out for an 8-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at Camden Yards.
Giancarlo Stanton and Kyle Higashioka also homered and Isiah Kiner-Falefa turned in the best at-bat of the night, a 10-pitch battle that ended in a three-run double and gave the Yankees (55-49) some much-needed breathing room in the sixth inning.
“That’s what it’s supposed to look like right there,” manager Aaron Boone said with a sense of relief in his voice. “That’s what we’re working to. … It felt that way all night where guys were giving really tough at-bats. That’s us and that’s who we want to be and that’s what we’re working to see.”
With the win, the Yankees pulled back within 3 ½ games of the Blue Jays for the final AL wild card spot.
They still have to prove they can have nights like Saturday on a more consistent basis — starting Sunday in the rubber game of the series — but if they do, Judge believes they are capable of making a run over the final two months of the season.
“I wouldn’t count us out,” the Yankees captain said.
All in all, a Yankees lineup that was in need of some juice beyond just Judge piled up 12 hits. Their eight runs also tied the most they had scored in any game this month.
But there was nothing that could overshadow how encouraging Judge has looked in his first two games after he missed nearly two months with a torn ligament in his right big toe. After he served as DH on Friday and went 0-for-1 with three walks, Judge started in right field Saturday and went 3-for-5 with the home run, two runs and two RBIs.
“That’s why he gets the big bucks,” Kiner-Falefa said with a grin. “He’s the captain for a reason. He means everything to this organization. You see the difference in the energy with and without [him] — it’s pretty self-explanatory.”
Right after the Orioles (63-41) took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning, Judge put the Yankees back on top in the top of the third with a 442-foot, two-run homer. It was his team-leading 20th home run of the season, and his 41st and 42nd RBIs, good for second behind Gleyber Torres’ 44. It also was Judge’s first homer since June 3, the night he got injured at Dodger Stadium.
From there, the Yankees kept piling on with quality at-bats throughout the lineup.
Both Harrison Bader and Anthony Volpe made outs at third base, so it was not a perfect night for the Yankees, but it certainly gave them something to build on and dream on.
“We know every game is a must-win,” said Clarke Schmidt, who gave up three runs across five gutsy innings, finishing off his night with a strikeout to strand the potential tying run at third base. “Especially against an opponent like this and an atmosphere like this, it was playoff-esque. So to be able to come away with the big win and put up a lot of runs is a really good feeling.”
Now the Yankees have a chance to win a series against the division-leading Orioles, with or without Judge on Sunday. Boone said he was leaning towards sitting Judge, who skipped a rehab assignment following his nearly a two-month layoff. The manager left the door slightly open, however, for Judge to play.
“I want him in every game,” Boone said. “We got 13 in a row. I kind of look at it as hopefully, he’s in a position to start nine or 10 of them. … Forget the toe, he hasn’t come close to playing games for almost two months. So as much as I want him in there, we gotta be smart here a little bit.”
“I understand it,” Judge said with a grin. “I’m not happy about it, but that’s a discussion we’ll have on our own.”
