New York Yankees 4-2 Baltimore Orioles
The Yankees clinched a 4-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, but the victory was overshadowed by a concerning injury. Star slugger Aaron Judge was hit on his left hand by a pitch in the early innings. This incident follows closely on the heels of first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s broken right forearm, intensifying the Yankees’ injury troubles.
Judge’s evening took a downturn in the third inning when a 94.1 mph fastball from Orioles starter Albert Suárez (3-1) struck his pinky. Although Judge initially continued to play, the Yankees substituted him with a pinch hitter in the fourth inning and sent him to the hospital for scans to evaluate the injury.
This incident compounds the Yankees’ injury problems. Earlier in the day, it was announced that first baseman Anthony Rizzo would be out for eight weeks following a collision at first base during Sunday’s game in Boston. Additionally, relievers Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet have been placed on the injured list. On a brighter note, reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is slated to make his season debut against the Orioles on Wednesday after recovering from nerve inflammation in his right elbow.
Yankees Hold Off Orioles Despite Division Struggles
Nestor Cortes delivered a stellar performance for the Yankees (51-24), pitching six scoreless innings. The offense was bolstered by contributions from Anthony Volpe, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, and DJ LeMahieu. Despite holding the best record in Major League Baseball, the Yankees have faced challenges within their American League East matchups, holding a balanced 10-10 record in the division.
The second-place Orioles (47-25) struck back with Anthony Santander’s two-run homer in the ninth inning off Clay Holmes. This was Santander’s ninth home run of June and 18th of the season, ending Holmes’ streak of not allowing a homer since August 28th.
Yankees Debutant Rice Makes First Impression
New York introduced highly-touted prospect Ben Rice to the major leagues in front of a lively crowd of 47,429. The 25-year-old made his debut at first base for seven innings and added a single during the Yankees’ two-run third inning, extending their lead to 3-0. Anthony Volpe had initiated the scoring with a single in the second inning.
Though Rice’s primary position in the minor leagues was catcher, he filled in at first base and displayed some rookie nerves. In the second inning, Austin Hays hit a ground ball to Rice’s right. While Torres, stationed at second, could have fielded it, Rice moved to cover first base. This brief miscommunication resulted in Cortes staying on the mound and Hays reaching base with an infield single.
Boone Arrives Late as Yankees Take Down Orioles
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was absent for the early innings, attending his son Brandon’s high school graduation, with bench coach Brad Ausmus stepping in effectively.
Cortes had an impressive performance for the Yankees, pitching six shutout innings while allowing five hits. He struck out six without walking a batter. Notably, Cortes has a stellar 1.57 ERA at home, compared to a 5.57 ERA on the road.
Orioles starter Albert Suárez struggled, giving up three runs on six hits and five walks over 4.2 innings. This outing resulted in his first loss with Baltimore, and he has only recorded 11 outs in his brief time with the team. Remarkably, Suárez’s previous win as a starting pitcher was 2,860 days ago, marking the second-longest gap between wins in the past 70 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Yankees Roster
Up Next
Left-hander Cade Povich will start for the Baltimore Orioles, seeking his first win of the season, against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Povich enters the game with a 0-1 record and a 4.76 ERA.
What do you think? leave your comment below.
In game 2, either Henderson or Rutschman needs to leave the game with a broken arm or leg.
The orioles hit 2 Yankees in the hand in one game, including the Most Important Man on the team, Aaron Judge, and the only “answer” to those pitches from Cortes’ are two slightly inside pitches?! UNACCEPTABLE!
They hit our best player, you hit their best player, period. So, either Henderson or Rutschman needs to be ht in the hand, arm or legs in game 2, Really Hard.
Three Yankees have now been hit in the hand in just a few games. That’s beginning to feel willful, as in the league has conceded they can’t consistently stop the Yankees offense, so throw inside & so what if you hit them, it’s better than giving up a home run.
Well, the Yankees’ pitching staff CANNOT allow that to continue without a Decisive & Very Painful Counter Statement, as in: Sorry Gunnar, your season is over.
And if they throw a pitch within 3 inches of Soto on Wednesday, then, Sorry Rutschman, your season is over, too.
Yankee pitchers cannot allow other teams to treat their teammates like turkeys at a Turkey Shoot. There’s only one way of ending that crap, payback. that may sound horrible, but that’s how incidents like this have been stopped HISTORICALLY in baseball history. You hit our best player, we hit your best player. End of story.