BALTIMORE — Friday night’s bench-clearing rush between the Yankees and Orioles didn’t result in the same fist-swapping brawl that saw Saturday’s game.
But the Yankees came out swinging with the bat on Saturday afternoon, as Luis Gil held off the Orioles to secure their second straight win and their first series victory in a month, moving them back into a tie for first place in the American League East.
Austin Wells led off with a three-run homer in the first inning, then Juan Soto and Aaron Judge homered in the fifth, and behind six strong innings from Gill, the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 6-1, in front of a sellout crowd of 44,018 on a hot and humid day at Camden Yards.
Things have been tough for the Yankees (58-39) since they last won their series before Saturday (June 10-13 against the Royals), but they have a chance to enter the All-Star break in first place in the division if they can sweep the Orioles (57-38) on Sunday.
“We needed a much needed bounce back and get back on track,” Soto said. “That’s part of the game. We tried our best and things just didn’t go our way, but we kept trying until we found a way. We did a great job today to take the series and get the sweep.” [Sunday].”
The Yankees have gone 0-7-1 in eight series since winning the four-game series against the Royals, including their second straight loss of the season to the Orioles. During that losing streak, the Yankees finished with a 6-17 record and fell to just two games behind the Orioles, 3.5 games behind the division leader.
But the Yankees have finally regained momentum, winning three of their last four games and recovering from a late-game slump on Friday (which began when Heston Kierstad was hit by a 97 mph sinker from Clay Holmes in the ninth inning) to continue playing winning baseball.
“We’re in a great position heading into the All-Star break, and that’s the most satisfying thing,” Judge said.
Aaron Boone and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spoke after the emotional outburst Friday night, the mood seemed to de-escalate and Baltimore did not retaliate by attacking the Yankees on Saturday.
Instead, the Yankees’ batting lineup made the most noise, with Gill making his second consecutive comeback appearance, striking out seven and allowing just one run in six innings before going into the break in impressive fashion.
Thanks to back-to-back great pitching performances from Gerrit Cole and Gill, the Yankees secured their first series win against the Orioles since April 7-9, 2023.
Wells played intercessor in the Yankees dugout Friday night, stifling a Hyde charge and getting into form against visiting Eutaw State in the first innings.
After Gleyber Torres hit an infield single with two outs to put the Yankees up 1-0, Wells faced Grayson Rodriguez and threw nine pitches, the last of which was a 397-foot hit to right field to make it 4-0.
“That’s amazing,” Judge said.[We] He came out and made a statement. I think that was the biggest thing, especially with everything that’s happened since then. [Friday] “It was a great night. We got an early lead and then he had a great at-bat against a tough pitcher and got the ball out of the park with one error, which meant a lot for us and also for Gil on the mound to have some confidence going into the game.”
Wells, who is expected to play extended minutes after Jose Trevino was placed on the disabled list on Saturday, is batting .296 with a .922 OPS over his last 24 games.
In the fifth inning, with the Orioles leading by one run, Soto and Judge hit back-to-back home runs for the second time this season. Soto smashed a 426-foot homer to center field for his 23rd of the season, and Judge smashed a 431-foot homer right in front of the batter for his 34th of the season.
“It’s fun to watch what those two do at the plate every night,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Two home runs, Juan’s home run, that liner to center field and that one by Judge that went all the way to the moon, it just goes on and on.”
