The New York Yankees made a powerful statement in Baltimore on September 18, 2025, opening their crucial four-game set against the Orioles with a convincing 7-3 victory at Camden Yards. With the postseason looming and the pressure mounting, the Yankees leaned on their ace, Max Fried, who delivered one of his best performances of the season to keep New York’s playoff push firmly on track.
Heading into Thursday night’s contest, the Yankees were riding high, having won five of their last seven games. At 85-67, they held a slim two-game lead over both Seattle and Boston for the top Wild Card slot and trailed the Toronto Blue Jays by just two games in the AL East. Baltimore, meanwhile, sat at 72-80 and was playing the role of spoiler after sweeping the Chicago White Sox. The Orioles, despite their sub-.500 record, came in hot, boasting an 11-4 mark over their previous 15 contests and riding a three-game home winning streak.
The matchup pitted two left-handed starters at opposite stages of their careers. Max Fried, the Yankees’ prized offseason acquisition, entered the game with a 17-5 record and a sparkling 3.03 ERA. He had allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts and was tied for the league lead in wins. On the other side, rookie Cade Povich took the mound for Baltimore with a 3-7 record and a 5.05 ERA, having flashed strikeout potential but struggled with consistency over his 18 starts.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone rolled out a lineup stacked with power, led by the ever-dangerous Aaron Judge. Judge, who came in batting .329 with 48 home runs and 103 RBIs, continued to anchor a New York offense that had slugged an MLB-best 258 home runs and scored 794 runs. Paul Goldschmidt led off at first base, followed by Judge in right field, Cody Bellinger in left, and Giancarlo Stanton as the designated hitter. The infield featured Ahmed Rosario at second, Anthony Volpe at short, Jose Caballero at third, and Austin Wells behind the plate. Trent Grisham patrolled center field.
Baltimore countered with a youthful lineup built around Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday. Henderson, hitting .274 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs, and Holliday, with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs, had provided most of the offensive spark. However, the Orioles were missing their All-Star catcher, Adley Rutschman, sidelined with an oblique injury, further testing their depth.
The Yankees wasted no time jumping on Povich. In the top of the first, Ahmed Rosario laced a two-run double to left-center, plating Goldschmidt and Bellinger and staking Fried to an early 2-0 lead. That quick strike set the tone and seemed to settle any nerves in the Yankees dugout.
Fried, meanwhile, was locked in from the outset. He made Orioles hitters uncomfortable with his six-pitch repertoire, mixing pinpoint fastballs with a devastating curve. Fried’s dominance was on full display in the fourth inning, when he retired the side on just six pitches. By the end of his outing, Fried had thrown seven innings, allowing only three runs while striking out 13 batters—a mark that tied his career high. His efficient and overpowering performance not only shut down Baltimore’s offense but also saved a heavily used Yankees bullpen at the start of a critical series.
“Max Fried gives the Yankees a clear edge on the mound,” wrote David Hess of Winners and Whiners before the game. “He enters with a 17–5 record, a 3.03 ERA, and 169 strikeouts over 181.1 innings, having delivered a quality start in four of his last five outings. His command has been elite—just 36 walks all season—and he’s held opponents to a .228 batting average while averaging 8.4 strikeouts per nine.” Fried certainly lived up to that billing on Thursday night.
The Yankees continued to pile on runs as the game progressed. In the fifth, Austin Wells singled, scoring Volpe to make it 3-0. The seventh inning saw the Yankees break the game open. Goldschmidt singled in Caballero, Judge hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Wells, and Stanton capped the rally with a two-run double, driving in Goldschmidt and Bellinger. Suddenly, it was 7-0 Yankees, and the crowd at Camden Yards grew noticeably quieter.
Baltimore did manage to scratch across three runs late, but the deficit proved insurmountable. Povich, to his credit, struck out all three Yankees he faced in the fourth, but ultimately couldn’t match Fried’s efficiency or command. The Orioles’ bullpen, already stretched thin by injuries, was unable to contain New York’s relentless lineup.
Injuries played a significant role for both clubs. The Yankees were without Brent Headrick (forearm), Jonathan Loaisiga (back), Clarke Schmidt (forearm), Gerrit Cole (elbow), Oswaldo Cabrera (ankle), and Jake Cousins (elbow). The Orioles’ list was even longer, headlined by Rutschman, Gary Sanchez (knee), Felix Bautista (shoulder), and Grayson Rodriguez (elbow), among others. Despite these setbacks, both teams showed grit, but the Yankees’ depth and star power ultimately made the difference in the series opener.
With the win, New York’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth dropped to seven, especially important after both the Blue Jays and Red Sox suffered losses earlier in the day. The Yankees now have ten games left—all against last-place teams Baltimore and Chicago—which gives them a golden opportunity to put even more pressure on Toronto atop the division. “The Yankees need to take advantage of a series like this to put themselves in a nice position heading into the last week,” noted Randy Chambers of PickDawgz.
Looking ahead, the Yankees and Orioles will square off again at 7:10 p.m. Eastern on Friday night. With the season series now tilting in New York’s favor, and momentum clearly on their side, the Yankees are poised to make a strong final push toward the postseason. But as every baseball fan knows, nothing is guaranteed—especially in September. Baltimore may be down, but with young talent and pride on the line, the Orioles will surely look to play spoiler the rest of the way.
For now, though, the Yankees can savor a well-earned win, a dominant outing from their ace, and the knowledge that October baseball is just within reach.
