In a performance that had Yankees fans dreaming of October baseball, Aaron Judge and Cam Schlittler delivered a one-two punch that the Baltimore Orioles simply couldn't handle. The result? A dominant 12-1 victory that completed a four-game sweep on Monday night.
The tone was set early, and it was set loud. In the first inning, Trent Grisham doubled to get things moving, and then Aaron Judge did what Aaron Judge does best—crushing his 14th home run of the season. The "Judgian blast," as broadcaster Michael Kay dubbed it in honor of the legendary John Sterling, who passed away earlier that day, sailed high and far, giving the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead. It was Judge's sixth first-inning homer of the season, a stat that shows just how dangerous he is from the very first pitch.
Grisham wasn't done. In the third inning, he doubled again, this time advancing to third on a throwing error. The Orioles were so wary of Judge that they intentionally walked him, but Cody Bellinger made them pay with a sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 3-0.
On the mound, Cam Schlittler was electric. The right-hander threw the three fastest pitches of his career in the first inning alone, touching 101.3 mph, 101.1 mph, and 101 mph. He struck out Dylan Beavers and kept the Orioles scoreless, showing the kind of velocity that makes hitters uncomfortable from the jump. In the second inning, he hit 101.1 mph again, needing just four batters to get through the frame.
The game got a little scary in the third when a comebacker hit Schlittler in the back of the knee. Manager Aaron Boone and a trainer rushed out to check on him, but the young pitcher shook it off and stayed in the game. After Gunnar Henderson singled, the Yankees' defense stepped up with a slick 4-6-3 double play. Schlittler then won a nine-pitch battle against Beavers, blowing a 101.2 mph fastball past him—his fifth pitch of the night at 101 mph or above.
The fourth and fifth innings followed a similar script: Schlittler allowed back-to-back singles but got a double play each time to escape trouble. In the fifth, he closed the inning with a flyout, showing his ability to pitch out of jams. But the sixth inning brought a tougher challenge. With two outs, Schlittler loaded the bases, and after a mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, he walked in a run, ending his night with a 3-1 lead. Jake Bird came in and got a huge strikeout against Jeremiah Jackson to end the threat.
Grisham, who reached base three times by the fifth inning, also showed off his glove in the top of the sixth with a nice running catch on Adle, proving that on this night, the Yankees were clicking in all phases of the game. From Judge's early power to Schlittler's heat to the team's defensive grit, this was a complete performance that left no doubt about which team was in control.