Against the best the American League has to offer, the Yankees asserted themselves in all facets.
Nestor Cortes pitches six strong, scoreless innings, holding down a powerful Orioles offense.
Clutch hitting led to three runs in the first three innings, which was all that was needed.
The defense, arguably the best in the majors, again was solid and received particular excellence from Gleyber Torres.
A thin bullpen finished the job.
With a 4-2, series-opening win over the Orioles in front of a sellout crowd of 47,429 in The Bronx, the Yankees pushed the AL East lead to 2 ¹/₂ games and ensured they would finish the three-game set in first place.
They hope, though, that Tuesday’s at-times tense victory will not prove pyrrhic.
On an otherwise spotless night, the only blemish was large.
Aaron Judge exited in the fourth inning, after being drilled in the left hand with a 94 mph fastball from Albert Suarez an inning prior.
The initial X-rays and CT scan came back negative, though Judge acknowledged there was some swelling.
The threat to the captain, who is authoring the beginnings of one of the greatest seasons in baseball history for a second time in three years, hung over the rest of the contest.
“Definitely the energy changed a little bit once he was out of the game,” said Cortes, who led the way on a night the Yankees didn’t need arguably the best player in the sport.
The Yankees (51-24) opened a six-game homestand with a 14th win in their past 19 games, improving the major leagues’ best record, and opened a hyped showdown against the rising juggernaut from Baltimore with crispness.
Against an offense from the Orioles (47-25) that entered having scored the most runs in baseball, Cortes — with velocity spikes that perhaps showed he was raising his game against this level of opponent — scattered five hits and walked none in six strong frames that lowered his ERA to 3.36.
Cortes said there was no extra juice for what was an unusually significant June game.
“We’re No. 1 in the East right now,” said the lefty, who owns a 1.57 ERA in eight home starts this season. “I think they gotta come in and beat us. And tonight, we got up ahead.”
The Yankees gave Cortes a one-run lead in the second that would be enough.
Cortes was at his best in the big moments on a night Baltimore went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
He allowed two to reach with one out in the first, but stranded them by retiring Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander in succession.
In the sixth, Cortes received his loudest round of applause by throwing a 94.6 mph fastball — his second-hardest pitch of the game — up and in to Henderson, who spun safely out of the way.
Cortes said there was no intent and just needed to back him off the plate.
It worked: Cortes induced a ground ball to the right side that a diving Torres stopped and threw strong to first.
Without Judge for the final five innings, the Yankees finished with just six hits — but several were timely.
Anthony Volpe’s two-out, RBI single in the second knocked in Austin Wells and gave the Yankees a lead that would not be threatened.
An RBI single from Giancarlo Stanton brought in Judge two innings later, and Torres’ sacrifice fly scored another in the frame.
Another sac fly, off DJ LeMahieu’s bat in the fifth, concluded their scoring.
Clay Holmes was the only Yankees pitcher dented, allowing a two-run shot to Santander in the ninth that accounted for Baltimore’s only runs.
Judge said he was “definitely pissed” after being hit by Suarez, who pitched him up and in plenty.
Alex Verdugo added that, “If you can’t go in, don’t go in that day,” and said “we’ll see what happens” in terms of a potential for carryover.
The Yankees were bruised. But they also were cruising.
“A lot to be excited about in that win,” manager Aaron Boone said. “But obviously concern, also — it’s the captain.”
