Judge hits the 58th HR as the Yankees beat the Orioles and clinch the AL East

NEW YORK – Aaron Judge hit his 58th major league home run and went deep for the fifth straight game to help the New York Yankees to their second AL East title with a 10-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in three years Thursday evening.

Giancarlo Stanton had four RBI, including his 27th home run, Alex Verdugo also hit a home run and Gerrit Cole passed Corbin Burnes in a possible postseason preview. Judge and Stanton hit home runs in the same game for the 14th time that year, tying them with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961 for the most hits in Yankees history.

New York secured a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning October 5.

Baltimore, which secured a spot in the postseason by winning the opening game of the three-game series on Tuesday night, will compete in a best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday.

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

Judge hit a two-run home run in Game 7 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 hitting a home run in five consecutive games.

In his final start before the playoffs, Cole (8-5) allowed two hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked 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 in front of a crowd of 42,022.

Burnes (15-9) allowed two hits in five innings, a walk and nine strikeouts – including eight on cutters. Burnes came out after 69 pitches and is expected to start in the Orioles’ postseason opener on Tuesday. He had a 1.20 ERA in five starts in September.

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

Austin Wells, on a 4-for-42 slide, forced in a run when he faced Cionel Pérez with the bases loaded. Stanton bounced the next pitch to the wall in right-center 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.