Aaron Judge homers in second game back as Yankees rebound vs. Orioles – The Denver Post

BALTIMORE — It didn’t take long for Aaron Judge to make his presence felt.

After drawing three walks in his Friday return, the reigning MVP got his bat going in the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday. Judge, playing the field for the first time since tearing a ligament in his right big toe on June 3, recorded three hits, including a two-run, 442-foot blast to centerfield.

“He’s just a special player,” Aaron Boone said afterward. “For him to come in and, so far in two games, really not have a non-really competitive at-bat after being down as long as he has been. He’s just a special player, and it’s good to see him playing like that.”

Added Judge: “Just trying to do my job.”

The home run, Judge’s 20th of the year, came in the third inning off Tyler Wells. The Orioles starter, a frequent victim of Judge’s power, exited shortly after that.

Judge has now hit 22 career dingers at Camden Yards and four off Wells, but he modestly said, “I wouldn’t say I see him well.”

Judge wasn’t the only Yankees slugger to homer off Wells, as Giancarlo Stanton hit a 427-foot missile with nobody on in the first inning. Kyle Higashioka then crushed a Cole Irvin pitch 428 feet for another solo shot in the sixth inning.

“There’s no question Aaron’s presence in the lineup is enormous,” Boone said. “But it’s also a peek into what we truly believe: other guys are capable as well. Giancarlo set the tone with an early homer.”

However, it was Isiah Kiner-Falefa who broke the game open, as he ended a 10-pitch at-bat with a three-run double off Bryan Baker in the sixth. The two-bagger gave the Yankees a five-run lead. Boone called the at-bat “one of the best” of the Yankees’ season.

“It felt great, said Kiner-Falefa, who also walked twice and forced another 10-pitch at-bat his first time up. “I’ve been grinding and just trying to do anything I can to contribute in any way. If it’s off the bench, pinch-run, hitting. That at-bat was a big time moment for me that felt great, especially against these guys.”

The Yankees scored an additional run in the fourth when Gleyber Torres lofted a sac fly.

Clarke Schmidt, meanwhile, fought hard to continue his run of dependability. The right-hander totaled five innings, five hits, three earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts and 96 pitches.

“Did a lot of really good things,” Boone said of Schmidt. “Wasn’t perfect, but a lot of gritty, tough, tough, tough pitching.”

Ryan Mountcastle hit a solo homer off Schmidt in the second before Ramón Urías added a run on an infield single. The Orioles scored again in the fifth on an Anthony Santander groundout, but Schmidt got Ryan O’Hearn on a check swing to end the inning with a runner on third.

Having preserved a one-run lead with a devastating, 3-2 breaking ball, Schmidt excitedly spun off the mound before calling it a night.

“This is like my fourth time facing these guys, so I had to get a little bit creative and try not to be too predictable,” Schmidt said. “I haven’t thrown O’Hearn a ton of curveballs. I felt like I was executing some good cutters up, but he wasn’t biting on it. So we felt like going to the chase curveball there was the best opportunity for me, because I know he almost bit at one earlier.”

With the series all tied up and the trade deadline approaching, the Yankees will try to grab one more win in Baltimore when they play the Orioles on Sunday Night Baseball. Luis Severino, coming off two solid starts following prolonged struggles, will pitch the series finale for the Yankees.

Dean Kramer will start for the Orioles. The right-hander held the Yankees to one earned run over seven innings on July 5. He struck out 10 that day.

Once the Yankees wrap things up in Baltimore, they’ll head home for a three-game series against the Rays and a four-game series against the Astros. The series against Tampa Bay overlaps with Tuesday’s deadline.

Regardless of what the Yankees do trade-wise, Boone is hoping the Bombers’ offense, often dormant over the last two months, continues to build on Saturday’s performance.

“That’s what it’s supposed to look like right there,” the manager said. “Up and down, just so good to see us have that level of at-bats, even in the ones that were not ending with a positive result.

“That’s us, and that’s who we want to be, and that’s what we’re working to be. That was really good to see.”

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