New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 10, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
NEW YORK — Rookie Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 19th home run and the New York Yankees connected five times in all, battering Chris Tillman and the Baltimore Orioles 16-3 Saturday night for their fourth straight win.
Starlin Castro, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and Matt Holliday also homered in New York’s biggest offensive show this season. The first-place Yankees have outscored Boston and Baltimore, their closest competitors in the AL East, by 41-6 during their winning streak.
Luis Severino (5-2) pitched seven sharp innings, giving up one run and two hits. He struck out eight walked two.
Tillman (1-4) was tagged for nine runs in only 1 1/3 innings. He got two quick outs to begin the first before Judge’s homer began a six-run burst.
Holliday then singled, Castro doubled and Sanchez lined a two-run single. Gregorius deposited Tillman’s next offering into the right field seats, extending the lead to 5-0, with all those runs scoring in a span of eight pitches.
After Chase Headley walked and moved up on a wild pitch, Chris Carter hit an RBI single.
Tillman walked Judge and Holliday on eight straight balls with one out in the second. Castro drove a 3-0 pitch 452 feet over the Baltimore bullpen to make it 9-0, ending Tillman’s outing.
Holliday hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Judge added a two-run double in the fifth. Holliday and Judge both had three of New York’s 18 hits and scored three times each.
Severino earned his third consecutive win. He was perfect until walking Mark Trumbo to begin the fifth, and all of Severino’s strikeouts came on swings.
Chris Davis and Joey Rickard homered for the Orioles.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: C Welington Castillo (testicular injury) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list prior to the game. He was 0 for 3. … LHP Zach Britton (left forearm strain) threw a successful bullpen session on Saturday and has another scheduled for Monday. On the disabled list since May 6 (retroactive to May 5), the All-Star closer will throw live batting practice on Thursday.
Yankees: 1B Greg Bird (right ankle bruise) went 2 for 5 with an RBI for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday in his ninth rehab game. There is no timetable for his return. “Our people determined that he’s not ready to come back yet,” manager Joe Girardi said. … LHP Aroldis Chapman (left shoulder) struck out three and walked one in one inning during a simulated game against minor leaguers on Saturday morning. He has been on the DL since May 14 with rotator cuff inflammation. Chapman is scheduled to pitch one inning on Tuesday with Class A Tampa and another at Double-A Trenton on Friday. Girardi hopes that the 29-year-old can be activated next weekend in Oakland. … CF Jacoby Ellsbury (concussion) will not join the club on their upcoming West Coast trip. He will work out with Trenton, although he is not expected to play in any games this week. Ellsbury has been riding an exercise bike, running on a treadmill and playing catch.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (3-4, 5.86 ERA) tries to help Baltimore avoid a sweep in the series finale. He beat the Yankees May 31 in Baltimore despite allowing eight hits and five walks over 5 1/3 frames.
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka, originally slated to start, was pushed back to Monday in Anaheim. He has lost five straight starts during the worst stretch of his career, charged with 27 runs in 22 2/3 innings including 11 home runs. Girardi said the Yankees would announce his replacement sometime after Saturday’s game.