Aaron Judge Powers Yankees to Victory Over Orioles

Judge Hits 33rd Homer, Drives in First RBI in Over a Week

Yankees Win Series Opener in 6-17 Skid

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit his 33rd home run of the season and drove in his first RBI in over a week, leading the Yankees to a 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

The Yankees, who entered the game in a 6-17 skid, were in desperate need of a win against the first-place Orioles. Baltimore had won the past three games between the two teams.

Judge's home run came in the first inning off Orioles starter Dean Kremer. It was a solo shot to left field, giving the Yankees an early 1-0 lead.

Judge's RBI came in the third inning on a single to center field, scoring Giancarlo Stanton from second base. It was Judge's first RBI since July 5, when he homered in a game against the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees added two more runs in the fourth inning on a double by Anthony Rizzo and a single by Matt Carpenter. They tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning on a single by Aaron Hicks and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Higashioka.

The Orioles got on the board in the sixth inning on a two-run homer by Anthony Santander. They added another run in the seventh inning on a solo homer by Ryan McKenna.

Yankees starter Jameson Taillon pitched five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven batters and walked one.

Clarke Schmidt, Lucas Luetge, and Aroldis Chapman combined to pitch the final four innings for the Yankees, allowing just one hit.

With the win, the Yankees improved to 48-48 on the season. They remain in second place in the American League East, one game behind the Orioles.

The two teams will play the second game of their three-game series on Saturday night.