The New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 10-1 on Thursday, clinching their second AL East title in the last three seasons.
It’s the 21st time the Yankees have won their division. They’ll have a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the American League Division Series.
Gerrit Cole carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. New York’s ace wound up lasting 6 2/3 frames, allowing no earned runs and two hits.
“Gerrit went out there and set the tone for us,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits after the win.
“There was a confidence with the group. You felt that coming in today … Just really proud of this group. We’ve faced a ton so far this year, they’ve answered it every turn.”
Giancarlo Stanton had a big night at the plate, driving in four with a home run in the second off Orioles ace Corbin Burnes and a bases-clearing double in the sixth.
Aaron Judge and Alex Verdugo also homered during the Yankees’ rout of their division rivals. It was the 58th homer of the campaign for Judge, who has hit a round-tripper in five straight games.
“We’ve got a special group here that has put a lot of hard work in all the way from the offseason to this point,” Judge told MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
“To be able to win this division, the toughest division in baseball, I’m just proud of this group that we have. It’s a special group.”
The Yankees turned things around in 2024 thanks in large part to Judge and offseason trade acquisition Juan Soto. New York missed the playoffs last season and hasn’t appeared in a World Series since 2009.
