Aaron Judge Crushes 14th Home Run and the Yankees Honor John Sterling With a Perfect Tribute

The Yankees put on the kind of show John Sterling lived for on Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge absolutely launched his Major League-leading 14th home run, and New York swept the Orioles 12-1 in a game that felt like a proper farewell to the legendary broadcaster who passed away at 87.

Sterling called more than 5,000 consecutive games during his career, and he had a trademark formula that worked: he loved teams that could hit the long ball. Power lineups gave him room to "do my act," as he once said. The Yankees delivered exactly that kind of game on Monday, and it hit different knowing what they were playing for.

Judge's Blast, Sterling's Voice

Judge crushed a full-count offering from Shane Baz into the right-field bullpen, and every Yankee on the field wore Sterling's initials on the back of their cap in tribute. On the YES Network broadcast, Michael Kay borrowed one of Sterling's most iconic calls to mark the moment. "It is high, it is far, it is gone," Kay said. "Aaron Judge, a Judgian blast! Here comes the Judge!"

Judge himself said Sterling "brought that New York theatre to the ballpark." This homer was Judge's 91st first-inning home run in his career, third most in Yankees history behind only Babe Ruth (126) and Mickey Mantle (103). That's the kind of historic context that Sterling would have loved to share.

Schlittler Steps Up, Yankees Run Away Late

Cam Schlittler took the mound and delivered one heck of an outing. He threw six of the fastest pitches of his Major League career, all clocking in at 100.9 mph or higher, topping out at 101.3 mph. He limited Baltimore to just one run on seven hits and three walks through six innings, though he did issue a bases-loaded walk to Colton Cowser that ended his night. Jake Bird came in to strike out Jeremiah Jackson and strand three.

New York piled on late, scoring three in the sixth and six more in the eighth. Cody Bellinger's two-run triple highlighted the eighth-inning explosion. By the time it was over, the Yankees had swept Baltimore in four games with a dominant 12-1 victory.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.