Judge, Stanton homer as Yankees clip Orioles to tighten AL East race

BALTIMORE — Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered in the same game, and the Yankees defeated the Orioles 6-1 on Saturday night at Camden Yards, keeping New York’s slim chances in the AL East alive. New York moved to 87-68 and closed to two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, who own the division tiebreaker with seven games remaining. The win also solidified the Yankees’ grip on the top AL wild-card spot, two games ahead of Boston and three in front of Houston, as they chase momentum heading into October.

Stanton’s three-run homer in the first inning off Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead. It was the 450th home run of Stanton’s career, his 1,719th game, making him the fifth-fastest to reach the milestone. Judge followed with his 49th homer of the season in the third, a towering shot to left that cleared the fence for a solo blast. Statcast estimated the Judge homer at roughly 370 feet.

Carlos Rodón worked seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts to earn his 17th win. The left-hander benefited from sharp defense behind him as the Orioles managed only a handful of soft hits, and he was able to navigate through a late-inning threat with minimal trouble.

The Yankees padded their lead in the fifth when Cody Bellinger walked, stole second and scored on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s single through the right side to make it 4-0. New York added another run in the sixth when Anthony Volpe lined a single, stole second, and came around to score on Trent Grisham’s RBI single, extending the cushion to 5-0. Volpe went 2-for-3 with a walk and also contributed a sharp backhand play at short in the fifth to help turn a potential Orioles rally.

Judge and Stanton continued to provide punch all night. Judge reached base multiple times and contributed behind the scenes with solid baserunning and defense, while Stanton’s early blast set the tone for a balanced, well-rounded Yankees victory. The win improved New York’s record in games in which the two teammates homer in the same game to 50-7 in franchise history, and their combined 57 same-game homers rank second in Yankees history behind only Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth (75).

With seven games left in the regular season, the Yankees sit two games behind Toronto for the AL East lead, a gap that mirrors the Jays’ possession of the tiebreaker. New York also holds a two-game edge over Boston for the top AL wild-card spot and a three-game cushion over Houston. The numbers illustrate how a late-season surge could reshape the postseason landscape, especially if Judge and Stanton continue to click in October.

This win caps a strong stretch for New York as it navigates the final week of the season. The club will now look to carry this momentum into the final games and into the postseason race, where the impact of Judge’s bat and Stanton’s power could be amplified in high-leverage moments.