New York Yankees 6-1 Baltimore Orioles
BALTIMORE — The New York Yankees intensified the AL East battle Saturday night behind historic home run achievements from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, plus a commanding performance by Carlos Rodón, who guided the team to a 6-1 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
The victory reduced the Yankees’ deficit to two games behind division leader Toronto, which suffered a loss to Kansas City earlier Saturday. With both clubs facing their final seven contests and Toronto owning the season series advantage, little room remains for mistakes.
Stanton reaches 450-homer milestone
Following singles by Judge and Cody Bellinger with two outs during the opening frame, Giancarlo Stanton crushed a towering opposite-field drive over the right-field scoreboard for a three-run blast that provided New York an early edge while marking the 450th homer of his career.
Only Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Harmon Killebrew launched more homers through their initial 1,719 career games. Stanton now holds the highest career home run total among active major leaguers.
Judge adds 49th season homer
Aaron Judge, who singled during the first inning before Stanton’s blast, contributed to the scoring during the third with a leadoff homer, his 49th this season, extending his American League home run race advantage.
Judge’s drive came against Tomoyuki Sugano, who struggled through three innings requiring 87 pitches while surrendering four earned runs and six total runs before his removal.
The Yankees have now scored during the opening inning in 61 games this season, leading Major League Baseball, while posting a 42-19 record when accomplishing that feat.
Rodón achieves career win peak
Armed with an early cushion, Carlos Rodón (17-9) seized control by delivering seven innings of one-run baseball. The southpaw permitted four hits, issued one walk, and struck out eight batters while establishing a new career-high victory total.
Rodón displayed precise command while keeping Baltimore hitters off balance, allowing only one significant hit — a seventh-inning RBI double from Coby Mayo. That run eliminated the shutout possibility but failed to threaten New York’s control.
Key moments and stat
Sugano nearly navigated the opening inning without damage after retiring the first two hitters. Judge’s single and Bellinger’s follow-up hit positioned Stanton, who delivered a game-altering three-run homer that established the tone while providing Rodón comfortable working conditions.
Stanton’s 450th career homer places him among elite company as only four players in MLB history connected more frequently through 1,719 games. The milestone also represents the highest total among active players, showcasing his power despite inconsistent stretches this season.
Yankees roster
| hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| T. Grisham CF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.24 | 0.347 | 0.473 |
| B. Rice C | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.245 | 0.33 | 0.475 |
| A. Judge RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.329 | 0.452 | 0.677 |
| C. Bellinger LF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.272 | 0.33 | 0.488 |
| G. Stanton DH | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.268 | 0.341 | 0.575 |
| J. Chisholm Jr. 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.242 | 0.331 | 0.482 |
| P. Goldschmidt 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.279 | 0.333 | 0.412 |
| R. McMahon 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.214 | 0.31 | 0.38 |
| A. Volpe SS | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.21 | 0.272 | 0.396 |
| pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | PC-ST | ERA |
| C. Rodon(W, 17-9) | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 96-65 | 3.04 |
| L. Weaver | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15-9 | 3.84 |
| D. Bednar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6-6 | 2.45 |
Up next
The Yankees turn to rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler (3-3, 3.41 ERA) for Sunday’s series finale, seeking to maintain pressure on the Blue Jays in the division chase. The Orioles counter with Kyle Bradish (1-1, 2.45 ERA), making his fifth start since returning from Tommy John surgery in late August.
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