Happy Easter! Judge 2 HR’s, Cortes Pitching Carry Yanks. NY 5 Baltimore 3

Happy Easter!

And Happy Passover too!

Aaron Judge hit 2 Homers, Franchy Cordero hit a 2-run Homer, Nestor Cortes pitched a shutout into the 6th, and Clay Holmes got the save on a neat Easter Sunday afternoon win for the Yanks at Baltimore’s Camden Yards.

NY was up 4-0, then 4-2, then 5-2, and then 5-3 but Baltimore never brought the tying run to the plate in the last 2 innings — so a relatively stress-free win.

“He’s always pretty good,” said manager Aaron Boone about Judge. “Even before today I look up and he’s got whatever a thousand OPS and hitting over .300 and I feel like, ‘he’s doing alright right now’ and then just sticks 2 balls today — he’s just a great player man.”

NY improves to 6-3. Baltimore falls to 4-5. Tampa won their game to go 9-0 on the season.

1. Stanton Drives in 1st Run

Giancarlo Stanton continues to hit in the early season. He did well last year but only batted. 211 in a year of historically low batting averages, slashing 31-78-.211 (.297 OBP). This year with the shift ruled illegal, he should see a rise in average. He’s age 33 and has a lifetime .264 (.354 OBP) average.

In this game he came up in the 1st after Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo had just singled with 1 out — Judge extending his consecutive on-base streak to 42 games.

Stanton ripped a single to right for a 1-0 Yankee lead (before a double play by Gleyber Torres ended the inning). Stanton went 1-4 on the day and is at .281 (.324 OBP).

2. Judge Homer #1

In the top of the 3rd, Aaron Judge pounced again — a 410-foot homer to dead center.

3. Franchy Makes It 4-0

The Yanks got more against Tyler Wells in the 4th — Jose Trevino with a single, moving to 2nd on a balk, and lefty swinging Franchy Cordero ripping a 383-foot homer to right for a 4-0 lead.

4. Cortes Good

Meanwhile Nestor Cortes looked good on the mound — using his cutter, 4-seam fastball, changeup, and sweeper to quell the Oriole lineup. He had a shutout into the 6th, when with 1 out, he allowed a single and a double (to Ryan Mountcastle) and was done for the day at 91 pitches — the score still 4-0.

Albert Abreu came in and allowed a bases-clearing double to Anthony Santander before striking out the last 2 guys to end the inning. NY 4 Baltimore 2.

5. Judge Insurance HR

Aaron Judge got his 3rd hit of the day — a 385-foot Homer to left center — just into the spot where Baltimore had NOT moved back the fences — to give the Yanks a needed insurance run in the top of the 8th. NY 5 Baltimore 2.

6. Bullpen Holds It

Jimmy Cordero allowed a Homer to Adley Rutschman leading off the bottom of the 8th for Baltimore, but then retired 3 straight.

And Clay Holmes pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning — strikeout, groundout, groundout — for the old ballgame. A nice, no-agita, Easter Sunday afternoon win.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471151

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