The Baltimore Orioles might have ignited a new rivalry with AL-East rivals New York Yankees as tensions flared at the Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. Orioles’ pitchers were rough on Yankee hitters as Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres were hit by wild pitches back to back.
While the New York Yankees won the game 4-2, Aaron Judge’s injury scare overshadowed the victory as Orioles’ aggressive attitude and Judge’s injury updates grabbed major highlights. Meanwhile, following the ugly turn of events, Alex Verdugo was all fired up in the dugout as he vowed to seek revenge on behalf of his teammates.
Alex Verdugo Grills Orioles After Aaron Judge Gets Injured By Wild Pitch
The Yankee Stadium turned into a war zone on Tuesday as the New York Yankees clashed with the Baltimore Orioles in the opening game of the three-game series. The battle of Titans soon took the shape of a rivalry as Orioles pitchers sought aggressive means to neutralize Yankee hitter’s threat. Albert Suarez hit captain Aaron Judge on the bottom hand with a 94 mph fastball, and Judge had to be taken out of the field with significant pain. While his CT scans came back negative, the captain is still dealing with some soreness. That being said, Yankee teammates took a strong stand for Judge and objected to the Orioles’ tactics. Alex Verdugo was especially fired up as he hurled abuses at the pitcher from the dugout.
In the post-game interview, Alex Verdugo‘s tone was the same as he expressed his displeasure on Albert Suarez’s pitch. Verdugo argued that Aaron Judge is one of their key hitters and leaders. Hence, when something happens to them, the team does not take that lightly. However, Verdugo gave the benefit of the doubt to the pitchers, saying it seemed unintentional. On the other hand, Nestor Cortes reprimanded Orioles pitchers for pitching too close to Judge and Gleyber Torres. “We don’t want any of our guys getting pitched up and in,” Cortes added. Juan Soto also weighed his thoughts and revealed that Judge is dealing with some swelling. Soto was initially uncomfortable upon seeing Judge and Torres getting knocked down like that. But it’s a helpless situation, and all Soto can do is hope for the best for Judge, who is also his AL-MVP rival.
Yankees-Orioles Rivalry To Heat Up After Judge’s Incident?
After Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres got hit by pitches, Nestor Cortes hit back and plunked Gunnar Henderson with an up-and-in fastball. It was a clear reflection of the rivalry heating up in the upcoming days. Alex Verdugo hinted at the same, saying the Orioles series will have a little more edge in the coming days.
However, Aaron Judge does not expect anything to roll over. He said he was pissed initially. But these things are a part of the game. “We’re trying to go out there and compete and do our thing. Stuff like that happens,” Judge said. With the Yankees taking a 1-0 lead on Tuesday, the series will resume again on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.
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