Austin Wells hit a three-run home run and Juan Soto and Aaron Judge drilled back-to-back homers as the New York Yankees pulled even with the host Baltimore Orioles atop the American League East by winning 6-1 on Saturday. Judge has 34 home runs, the most for a Yankee prior to the All-Star break. Judge had 33 in 2022 and Roger Maris had 33 in 1961 before the break. Baltimore's losing streak reached five games, matching its longest skid of the season. The teams complete the three-game series Sunday afternoon. The Orioles have scored a total of two runs during the slide. The emotions ramped up to another level Friday night with a ninth-inning dugout-clearing incident when Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad was hit on the helmet by a Clay Holmes pitch. The Yankees won 4-1 after Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde was ejected following his reaction to Kjerstad's beaning. Kjerstad was scratched from Saturday's lineup and placed on the seven-day concussion list. Yankees starter Luis Gil ended a personal four-game losing streak by working six innings. Gil (10-5) gave up one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Baltimore starter Grayson Rodriguez (11-4) gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings along with striking out seven while walking one. Wells' sixth home run of the season came with two outs in the four-run first inning. The Orioles scored in the fourth inning when Ryan O'Hearn led off with a triple and came home on Ryan Mountcastle's one-out groundout. Soto smacked his 23rd with one out in the fifth inning before Judge followed with his second long ball in as many games. That followed Judge's eight-game stretch without a home run. Gleyber Torres had three hits, including an RBI infield single, and Judge and Soto each finished with two hits for New York. Colton Cowser had two singles for the Orioles. --Field Level Media
Jul 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) gestures following his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports