While detailing the next step in his recovery from a toe injury and the lack of clarity about his return, New York Yankees star Aaron Judge expressed optimism about his teammates.
So far Judge’s healthy teammates are producing plenty of offense against the Baltimore Orioles. New York can clinch a series win on Wednesday when the American League East rivals continue their four-game set at Yankee Stadium.
New York is 13-13 since Judge got hurt running into the right field fence at Dodger Stadium on June 3. After starting with eight losses in 12 games without the 2022 AL MVP, the Yankees are 9-5.
“I think the guys are in a good position,” Judge said. “I think we’re going to be where we need to be when we get everybody back and healthy.”
The Yankees have scored at least five runs six times in the past nine games, including the first two games against the Orioles. New York holds a 5-3 lead in the season series after following up a 6-3 win on Monday with an 8-4 victory on Tuesday afternoon.
Gleyber Torres homered and scored three times for the Yankees on Tuesday. Harrison Bader hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning on Monday and added a two-run double the next day. The Yankees are 27-12 when the Bader plays.
Baltimore has lost six of seven and has scored just 18 runs in that span.
On Tuesday, Aaron Hicks hit a solo homer against his former team and Adam Frazier hit a tying two-run homer in a three-run fifth inning. However, the Orioles struck out 10 times and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
“When you play six months, you’re going to have periods of not playing your best baseball,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re in that period right now. We had a tough time the last couple of weeks really putting a game on the mound and a game at the plate together. We’re having a tough time scoring runs.”
The Orioles also played without Austin Hays, but the All-Star outfielder could return after missing the past two games with a left hip contusion. Hays, who was injured Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, took swings in the batting cage on Tuesday.
Randy Vasquez (1-1, 1.74 ERA) will make his third career start when the Yankees recall him from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre on Wednesday. Vasquez took the loss in his major league debut on May 26 against the San Diego Padres, when he allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
He recorded his first win on June 8, allowing two hits in 5 2/3 innings during a 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (8-4, 5.04 ERA) will attempt to surpass his win total from last season, when he was 8-7 with a 3.23 ERA.
Kremer got his latest victory when he allowed three runs, one run, in five innings on June 18 against the host Chicago Cubs. Since then, he has allowed 10 runs in 10 innings over two outings. He was tagged for seven runs on seven hits in three-plus innings on Friday at home against the Twins.
Kremer is 1-3 with a 5.61 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees. He last faced them on April 7 in Baltimore, where he allowed four runs on five hits in five-plus innings and got a no-decision in the Orioles’ 7-6 win.