Yankees 8, Orioles 2: The wrong Aaron homers into the Judge’s Chambers

Tonight’s game was decided by the long ball. A matchup between two 24-year-old pitchers held steady for a time before a home run barrage from Aaron Hicks turned things in favor of the home team.

Things didn’t start well for Jordan Montgomery when he allowed a two-run home run in the second inning. In the end, though, he managed to put together a particularly strong start. This was evidenced by his ability to get out of trouble in the fifth with a man on third and one out. Didi Gregorius caught a line drive right to him and Montgomery got out of it with a strikeout of Adam Jones. He allowed the two runs on five hits and a walk, but also managed to strike out eight in seven innings of work. He outpitched Dylan Bundy.

Starlin Castro responded to the Orioles in the bottom of the second with a home run of his own. This was followed by a double from Gary Sanchez. After two long fly balls, he was able to come around to score and tie the game up. The score held steady until the sixth inning when Aaron Hicks, who had very nearly hit a home run earlier in the game, launched a bomb into the Judge’s Chambers in right field. Wrong Aaron, right results. The Yankees were in the lead.

Bundy was pulled for the seventh inning and Buck Showalter decided to put Edwin Jackson, of all people, into the game. He started off the inning committing an error that allowed Chase Headley to reach. This would come back to bite him when Hicks hit another home run later in the inning to make it 5-2. After Aaron Judge walked, Matt Holliday doubled off the wall in left-center field to score an additional run.

The Yankees showed they weren’t done in the eighth inning when Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius collected back-to-back hits. Headley walked and Austin Romine managed to get the ball out of the infield to bring in two more runs and make it an 8-2 game.

Altogether, the team collected 11 hits and four walks on the evening. Hicks’ two home runs gave him three RBI. Castro homered and walked. Both Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner had two hits, Didi had one, and Headley had two walks and an RBI. Still, they left 16 runners in scoring position.

The game was finished out by the bullpen with a clean eighth inning from Tyler Clippard. Jonathan Holder was given the honor of finishing out the game on his 24th birthday, walking one and striking out another before shutting Baltimore down.