BALTIMORE — The Yankees and Orioles’ benches-clearing madness Friday night avoided any fisticuffs, as did Saturday’s game.
But the Yankees spent Saturday afternoon throwing punches with their bats while Luis Gil put the Orioles in handcuffs to secure back-to-back wins and a series victory for the first time in a month, and climb back into a tie for first place in the AL East.
Austin Wells delivered the first haymaker with a three-run homer in the first inning before Juan Soto and Aaron Judge went back-to-back in the fifth. Along with six strong innings from Gil, it was more than enough to lift the Yankees to a 6-1 win over the Orioles on a sticky and sweltering day at Camden Yards in front of a sellout crowd of 44,018.
As rough as things have gone for the Yankees (58-39) since the last time they won a series before Saturday — June 10-13 against the Royals — they now have a chance to enter the All-Star break in first place in the division if they can finish off a sweep of the Orioles (57-38) on Sunday.
“We needed it big-time, to bounce back and get on track,” Soto said. “It’s part of the game. We were going out there and trying our best, things weren’t going our way. But we keep trying until we find a way. We did a great job today to get the series and try to get the sweep [Sunday].”
The Yankees had gone 0-7-1 in eight series since clinching a four-game set over the Royals, including their second series loss of the season against the Orioles. During that skid, they went 6-17 while their 3½-game lead atop the division evaporated into a two-game deficit behind the Orioles.
But the Yankees finally have some momentum on their side, winning three of their last four and responding to Friday’s late-game chaos — set off by Clay Holmes’ 97 mph sinker hitting Heston Kjerstad in the ninth inning — by coming back and sticking to playing winning baseball.
“We’re putting ourselves in a great position going into the All-Star break and that’s the most satisfying thing,” Judge said.
Aaron Boone and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spoke after tempers flared Friday night, seemingly clearing the air, and Baltimore did not retaliate by hitting any Yankees on Saturday.
Instead, the Yankees’ bats made the most noise while Gil turned in a second straight bounce-back start — striking out seven over six innings of one-run ball — to enter the break in impressive fashion.
Thanks to consecutive strong starts from Gerrit Cole and Gil, the Yankees locked up their first series win over the Orioles since April 7-9, 2023.
Wells, who on Friday night was playing peacemaker as he held back Hyde from charging at the Yankees dugout, set the tone in the first inning by visiting Eutaw St.
After Gleyber Torres had put the Yankees up 1-0 with a two-out infield single, Wells worked a nine-pitch at-bat against Grayson Rodriguez that ended with a 397-foot blast to right field to make it 4-0.
“Big-time,” Judge said. “[We] came out and made a statement. I think that was the biggest thing, especially after everything that transpired [Friday] night. For us to get that first run early and then him to have a great at-bat against a tough pitcher and get the one mistake and let it leave the ballpark, that was big-time for not only us but for Gil on the mound to go out there with some confidence.”
Wells, who should get more playing time with Jose Trevino landing on the injured list Saturday, continued to swing a hot bat, hitting .296 with a .922 OPS over his last 24 games.
In the fifth inning, right after the Orioles had scratched a run across, Soto and Judge went back-to-back for the second time this season. Soto crushed his 23rd of the season, a 426-footer to center field, before Judge smoked his 34th of the year 431 feet to the batter’s eye.
“It’s just been fun to watch those two on a nightly basis do what they’re doing in the batter’s box,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Both homers — Juan’s, that bullet line drive to center, and then that classic Judgey to the moon that just keeps on going.”