Yankees put up a dozen runs on Orioles, sweep series for John Sterling

Michael Kay and Suzyn Waldman are shown just after laying flowers at home plate in memory of John Sterling, Monday, May 4, 2026, at Yankee Stadium. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.

com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images I don’t know how much the loss of John Sterling affected the Yankees’ players on the field, but his spirit was certainly palpable in all other forms of the game. Tributes were paid to the iconic broadcaster multiple times, with a touching pregame ceremony and other moments highlighting Sterling’s career and humanity. Perhaps most fitting of all, the Yankees did what Sterling would have wanted most: winning big and sweeping a series.

New York completed the four-game rout of the Baltimore Orioles, 12-1. True to form, Aaron Judge clubbed his 91st first-inning home run, and Sterling’s old radio partner Michael Kay, who seemed to be on the verge of tears just about all night, called it perfectly: View Link Judge’s blast broke a tie with Albert Belle and moved into another one at 71st on the all-time home run list at 382, even with three outstanding sluggers in their own right: Ryan Howard, Frank Howard, and Hall of Famer Jim Rice. I actually didn’t think that Yankees starter Cam Schlittler pitched all that well, showing some of the weaker control in his young MLB career.

In particular he was falling off hard to the first base side, harder than he normally does. This is often a byproduct of inconsistent mechanics — in essence, your body is out of whack with its normal rhythm. The first inning saw Schlittler slinging 101 with ease the way we have gotten used to, but beyond that it seemed much more work than normal.