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Yankees capture AL East title with 10-1 win over Orioles
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Yankees capture AL East title with 10-1 win over Orioles

NEW YORK – Aaron Judge hit his 58th major league home run and went deep for the fifth straight game, helping the New York Yankees wrap up their second AL East title in three years with a 10-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

Giancarlo Stanton had four RBI, including his 27th homer, Alex Verdugo also homered and Gerrit Cole defeated Corbin Burnes in a possible postseason preview. Judge and Stanton homered in the same game for the 14th time this year, tying Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris for the most in Yankees history in 1961.

New York secured a first-round bye and home field advantage in a best-of-five AL Division Series that begins Oct. 5.

Baltimore, which clinched a postseason berth by winning the opener of the three-game series on Tuesday evening, will play in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday.

Stanton homered in the second inning to give the Yankees the lead and hit a three-run double in a six-run sixth.

Judge hit a two-run homer in the seventh against Bryan Baker and has 144 RBI, the most in the major leagues since Ryan Howard’s 146 in 2008. Judge matched his career best by homering in five straight games.

Cole (8-5) made his final start before the playoffs and allowed two hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking one, lowering his ERA to 3.41. He struck out Anthony Santander with a 98.1 mph fastball that ended the eighth after plate umpire David Rackley called a ball on the previous pitch, a knuckle curve that appeared to be just above the strike zone. Cole glared at the umpire as the pitcher walked back to the dugout.

Cole received a standing ovation when he walked to the dugout with two outs in the seventh and tipped his cap to the crowd of 42,022.

Burnes (15-9) allowed two hits in five innings, walking one and striking out nine – eight of which were on cutters. Burnes came out after 69 pitches and will likely start the Orioles’ postseason opener on Tuesday. He had a 1.20 ERA in five starts in September.

Stanton placed a slider at the bottom of the strike zone on the left field seats after missing badly on a slider on the previous pitch.

Austin Wells forced in a run in a 4-for-42 slide when he walked with the bases loaded against Cionel Pérez. Stanton single-hopped the next pitch to the right-center wall for a 5-1 lead. Stanton has 72 RBI after going 6 for 18 with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in his last five games.

Anthony Rizzo added a two-run single against Baker.

Emmanuel Rivera hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning for the Orioles.