Orioles clinch playoff spot, defeat Yankees 5-3 despite Judge’s 56th HR

The Baltimore Orioles have secured their second consecutive playoff appearance by defeating the New York Yankees 5-3, despite Aaron Judge hitting his league-leading 56th home run. The victory solidified the Orioles’ position in the wild card race.

By winning on Tuesday night, Baltimore’s playoff prospects were enhanced further when Minnesota lost to Miami just minutes later. This combination means the Orioles are guaranteed at least a wild card spot in the American League.

Leading the charge for Baltimore was Anthony Santander, who hit his 44th home run of the season. Ramón Urías and Colton Cowser also contributed with home runs, bringing the Orioles to a record of 87-80. Although they still trail the Yankees by five games in the AL East, they have clinched the season series against New York, which serves as a crucial tiebreaker.

The Yankees (92-65), who had secured a playoff berth the previous week, only need one more win to clinch the AL East title. Baltimore has experienced a tough streak recently, losing seven out of their last ten games.

Santander’s key home run came in the sixth inning, a powerful hit that struck the right-field foul pole off Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt, who finished the game with a record of 5-5. The switch-hitter is having a career year, achieving new bests in home runs and RBIs, with a total of 100.

Urías extended Baltimore’s lead to 4-1 with his home run against Tim Mayza in the seventh inning. However, the Yankees clawed back with Gleyber Torres hitting a two-out RBI double and Juan Soto adding a run-scoring single, narrowing the score to 4-3. A dramatic moment ensued when Soto advanced to second base on Santander’s throw home, but Torres was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate, ultimately tagged out. This crucial play meant Judge did not get the opportunity to bat with runners on base.

Cowser later added an insurance run with his home run in the eighth inning off Ian Hamilton.

Starting pitcher Dean Kremer improved his record to 8-10 by allowing just one run and three hits over five innings. Seranthony Domínguez, the Orioles’ seventh pitcher of the night, secured the game with two outs, earning his 11th save of the season.

On the opposing side, Schmidt pitched five plus innings, surrendering four runs and four hits.

Baltimore took an early lead with Heston Kjerstad’s RBI grounder in the second inning, followed by Ryan O’Hearn’s run-scoring single in the fourth after a wild pitch from Schmidt allowed a runner to advance to scoring position. Judge responded with a home run that brought fans to their feet, sending the high drive deep into left field.

The night featured some notable appearances, including Knicks player Josh Hart, who threw the ceremonial first pitch, while former Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams played the national anthem on his guitar.

In the trainers’ update, the Orioles welcomed back first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who had been recovering from a sprained left wrist. He made an impact by pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, finishing the game with a hit in two attempts. On a different note, Grayson Rodriguez is still sidelined due to a lat injury and did not travel with the team.

For the Yankees, right-handed pitcher Jake Cousins is optimistic about starting to throw again soon, aiming for availability in the upcoming Division Series. Nestor Cortes, the team’s left-handed ace with a recent strong record of 4-0 in his last seven starts, is set to pitch against Zach Eflin in the next game.

As the postseason approaches, both teams have their sights set on crucial wins, with the Orioles looking to maintain momentum and the Yankees striving for the division title.

Source: Associated Press