NEW YORK — During the final half of the Orioles’ game against the Yankees on Tuesday night, more attention was paid to whether a pitch was too up and in than the actual score. The players will say it was just another June ballgame, but it didn’t look or feel that way. Batters were plunked.
Others were brushed back. Curse words were screamed from dugouts. And frustrations were expressed postgame.
Welcome to the Orioles-Yankees rivalry circa 2024. “Oh, definitely pissed,” New York slugger Aaron Judge told reporters after the Yankees’ 4-2 win . “There was a couple balls up and in.
That’s part of it. They like to throw in.” The American League East remains MLB’s best division, but it’s already a two-team race.
Judge, Juan Soto and the Yankees are currently leading near the halfway point, while Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and the Orioles are 2 1/2 games behind. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays are all laps behind, hoping to battle for a wild-card berth and far away from division title talk. “Yeah, it’s Yankee Stadium,” Orioles left fielder Austin Hays said when asked about the intensity of Tuesday’s game with a sold-out crowd of 47,429 in attendance.
“It seems like it’s always a sellout every time we’re here. The stadium fills up throughout the game, and the more pitches are thrown, the louder it gets. It was Yankee Stadium, just like it always is, tonight.
” This past weekend’s series in Baltimore aga.