NEW YORK — When you call more than 5,000 consecutive games like John Sterling did, a winning formula becomes second nature. The legendary Yankees broadcaster loved teams with power in their lineup because they gave him plenty of chances to “do my act.”
On Monday night, the Yankees gave Sterling the kind of game he would have loved to call. Aaron Judge launched his major league-leading 14th home run, and the lineup erupted late as New York rolled to a 12-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium, completing a four-game sweep.
Sterling, who passed away Monday at age 87, was remembered throughout the ballpark. Every Yankees player wore his initials “JS” on the back of their caps. Judge delivered a fitting moment, crushing a full-count pitch from Shane Baz into the right-field bullpen.
On the YES Network broadcast, Michael Kay honored his longtime partner with a classic Sterling-style call: “It is high, it is far, it is gone! Aaron Judge, a Judgian blast! Here comes the Judge!”
The homer marked Judge’s 91st career first-inning long ball — third-most in Yankees history behind only Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Judge said Sterling “brought that New York theatre to the ballpark” and always played with great enthusiasm.
Cam Schlittler turned in a strong effort on the mound, throwing his fastest pitches of the season — six at 100.9 mph or higher, topping out at 101.3 mph. He held Baltimore to one run over five-plus innings before Jake Bird came in to escape a bases-loaded jam.
New York added three runs in the sixth inning and then exploded for six more in the eighth, highlighted by Cody Bellinger’s two-run triple. Jasson Domínguez, Ryan McMahon, and José Caballero also drove in runs during the big night.
The Yankees honored Sterling with a moment of silence and tributes before the game, giving fans and players a chance to celebrate an iconic voice who was part of so many memorable Yankees moments. His energy and signature calls will be missed, but nights like this — full of power and victory — serve as the perfect way to remember him.