Rodon, Big G & Judge Overcome Orioles Orange Uniforms. NY 6 Baltimore 1

September 21, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0

Giancarlo Stanton hit a 3-run HR in the 1st inning, and Aaron Judge hit his 49th HR of the year in the 3rd to back another strong start by Carlos Rodon — who pitched a shutout into the 7th for the easy 6-1 Yankee win at Camden Yards on a beautiful, 70-degree Saturday night.

Luke Weaver pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 8th, and David Bednar did the same in the 9th. Anthony Volpe was in the middle of the offense for the 4th straight game — going 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, and run scored.

In so doing the Yankees were able to fend off the Orioles wearing their all-orange superhero uniforms — City Connect alternative uniforms introduced this year that are a throwback to the Orioles all-orange uniforms first introduced in 1971. At the time the Orioles became the first major league team to stray from traditional home-white/road-grey uniforms — and kick off the gaudy color uniforms of the 70’s, made most famous by the Oakland A’s and Houston Astros.

The Batting Title Race

In the batting race, Judge went 2-4 with a walk to improve his batting average to .329, while Jacob Wilson of the A’s went 1-3 to raise his batting average to .318.

Boone on Big G

“Unicorn,” said manager Aaron Judge about Giancarlo Stanton, whose HR was the 450th of his career. “It’s so unique how he does it. So unique in just how routinely hard he hits the baseball. But just a really cool day for him and for us as his teammates. He has so much respect from all of us; just who he is; the way he goes about things in his unique way. He’s just an awesome person; awesome teammate.”

Boone on Rodon

On Rodon, Boone said “His changeup. Him and Max (Fried) this series. The quality of the changeup. It’s become an important pitch for Carlos this year. It was probably as good as I’ve seen it; he used it a lot. But then had everything else going off it. You see the pitcher on display now: the sinker, the four seam. A little more life at the end of the game where he knows he’s toward the end he reaches back for more. But the changeup and the slider were both really good for him tonite. Just another strong outing in what’s been a really strong year.”

The Playoff Race

NY improves to 87-68, and pull to within 2 of Toronto while remaining 2 ahead of Boston. But NY must finish a game ahead of Toronto to win the division, since Toronto won the season series thus holds the tiebreaker. There are 7 games left. Baltimore falls to 73-82.

1. Orioles Come Out in All Orange Uniforms

The Orioles came out in their all Orange alternate City Connect uniforms — a throwback to their all-orange uniform first introduced in 1971. “I just wish that the guys who ordered these would have to wear them,” pitcher Dave McNally said at the time.

The Orioles wore the uniforms in 1971 and 1972, and then retired them — bringing them back for a game in August 2010 — then retiring them again until they brought them back this season.

The Orioles first wore the uniforms this year on April 12th.

On the tv broadcast, Michael Kay said he went back and researched the uniforms and found a tape of Phil Rizzuto and Bill White making fun of the way Boog Powell looked in them.

Boog is currently a broadcaster for the Orioles and much-beloved by fans at Camden Yards where he runs the Bird Bath in left field during the game — spraying fans with water on hot days.

A quick search on Twitter/X shows how Baltimore fans reacted when the uniforms were first introduced early this year.

By the 8th inning, there was evidence the uniforms — like the Knicks all-orange uniforms worn during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons (when they went 37-45 and 17-65) — might be bad luck.

The US Navy tested aircraft with all-orange paint design with similar results:

2. Big G Puts Yanks On Top 3-0 in 1st

Baltimore started Tomoyuki Sugano and he got lit up in the top of the 1st — a 2-out single by Aaron Judge, followed by a 2-out single by Cody Bellinger.

And then Giancarlo Stanton stepped up, worked the count 2-2, and hit an 84-MPH sweeper 358 feet to opposite-field right. NY 3 Baltimore 0 just like that — a big change over the night before when the Yanks were no-hit for the first 5 innings by Trevor Rogers.

3. Judge HR Makes It 4-0 NY in 3rd

The Yanks got consecutives singles after 2 outs in the 2nd — by Anthony Volpe and Trent Grisham — but Sugano got a ground out to end the inning.

But in the 3rd, Aaron Judge led off with a HIGH Drive to left for his 49th HR of the year. NY 3 Baltimore 0.

The Yanks continued to attack after Judge’s HR in the 3rd — with Giancarlo Stanton working a 1-out walk and Paul Goldschmidt getting hit by a pitch before Ryan McMahon grounded out.

Sugano left the game after 3 innings at 87 pitches.

4. Rodon SMOKING

Meanwhile Carlos Rodon was SMOKING from the start — in total command, striking out Orioles and getting quick outs.

Rodon allowed a 2-out single in the 1st, but got the final out.

In the 2nd Rodon just missed nabbing Gunnar Henderson on a grounder that Rodon fielded — Henderson beating Rodon to the bag. Rodon then got the next 3 outs on 5 pitches — fly out, foul out, 3-pitch strike out.

Rodon then pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd and 4th, and easily worked around a 1-out single in the 5th.

Rodon pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 6th — helped by some jazzy defense by Jazz Chisholm at 2nd for the 2nd out of the inning.

Up 6-0, Rodon allowed a run in the 7th — a leadoff walk to leftfielder Tyler O’Neill — who moved to 2nd on a passed ball by catcher Ben Rice after Rodon struck out Ryan Mountcastle — then a 2-out double by Coby Mayo for a 6-1 game.

Rodon finished up by striking out catcher Alex Jackson. His line: 7 IP, 4 Hits, 1 run, 8 K’s, 1 walk — he goes to 17-9 3.04.

5. The Single, the Steal, the RBI Single Makes It 5-0 NY in 5th

Meanwhile, after disposing of Sugano at 87 pitches through 3 innings, the Yanks tacked on runs against the Baltimore bullpen to increase the lead.

In the top of the 5th, Cody Bellinger worked a leadoff walk against Jose Castillo, then stole 2nd base with 1 out, and scored on an RBI single by Jazz Chisholm Jr. — NY 5 Baltimore 0.

6. The Single, the Steal, the RBI Single Makes It 6-0 NY in 6th

In the 6th, Anthony Volpe singled off Yennier Cano with 1 out, stole 2nd base, and scored on a single to right by Trent Grisham — NY 6 Baltimore 0.

7. Weaver Perfect in 8th

More good news for NY: Luke Weaver pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th and looked sharp doing so — striking out 2.

8. Bednar Perfect in 9th

And David Bednar wrapped up with a 1-2-3 shutout 9th — strike out, ground out, line out to right for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401697221

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