If you are a Baltimore Orioles fan, the last game probably stings. On Tuesday, the team found itself on a frustrating but certainly very familiar turf. They were trailing early and scrambling to keep up with New York. The situation was so grim that by the time Cedric Mullins stepped into the batter’s box for his first at-bat, the scoreboard was flashing 5-0!

Kyle Gibson, making his first start, was almost a sitting duck. The veteran had one of those nights that every pitcher dreads. He gave up four solo home runs to the first five Yankee batters! Each of those balls went soaring out, just reminding them of the mountain they had to climb to catch the Yankees each time. In the second inning, yet another home run flew over his head. And, just like that, the Orioles were down by nine runs.

After the game, manager Brandon Hyde didn’t sugarcoat things!

Frustrated, Hyde said, “It’s happened to us quite a bit so far this year. We’re having a tough time keeping teams down early in the game.” And can you blame him for being frustrated or even angry? This hasn’t just been a one-off or a bad day for the Orioles. They have trailed in 23 of their first 28 games at some point. They have fallen behind in eight of their last 10 games. Even their record when playing from behind stands at 3-12.

These stats just tell you how difficult it is to come back from such early deficits. It’s puzzling for fans, as the Orioles were known for resilience and comebacks last season. Plus, they led the league with 48 comeback wins in 2023. But this season, it’s a contrasting story, and the struggles are piling up quickly.

But that doesn’t mean the Orioles have lost hope. Manager Hyde reflected on their hope, saying, “That’s happened quite a few times. You want guys to continue to fight … But you’ve got to try to stay in the game somehow, try to take selfish at-bats, take the best at-bat you possibly can.”

But no doubt, the mental toll will be huge, plus they have a young lineup chasing their first playoff win. For now, all the Orioles’ plans of toppling the Yankees seem to be going nowhere. And the one player they need to watch out for next? None other than Aaron Judge.

Aaron Judge’s firepower burns the Baltimore Orioles

While the entire Yankees’ offense was on fire, the storm of Tuesday’s game was Judge. In the time when the Orioles were simply trying to find their footing, Judge came barreling through like a freight train. He left no doubt about who owned the spotlight, as he launched the second of three consecutive home runs in the first inning. That was part of the five-run opening blitz that had Baltimore just reeling even before they could blink.

The New York Yankees won 15-3, and Judge was everywhere, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. But it wasn’t just a great night for the Yankee captain; it was just another night of Judge just doing ‘Judge-things.’ He’s hitting an eye-watering. 412 with nine homers, 29 RBIs, a 1.235 OPS, and a 2.7 WAR this season. Now, according to the Yankees’ stats, he is part of an exclusive trio of Yankees to bat over .400 with nine or more homers through 30 games. He joined Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig with his gameplay, and that’s like baseball royalty. Not bad, right?

Judge also leads the entire league in almost all the major categories: hits, total bases, OBP, slugging, OPS, and even WAR. What’s even crazier is that a year ago, at this very same time, he was hitting. 207, and he went on to win his second AL MVP and led the pinstriped team to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Now, in hindsight, does that not look like a warm-up to you?

For now, Baltimore is probably trying to shake off the brutal loss. And maybe keeping a keen eye on Judge when they meet again on Wednesday. Do you think Judge will make a return to the World Series this season? Let us know in the comments.