Aaron Judge’s heroics not enough as Yankees fall to Orioles

BALTIMORE — Aaron Judge may be playing in another stratosphere right now, but just about the only feat he has yet to accomplish is pitching.

The Yankees came up short in that department on Wednesday night to waste another stellar night from their captain.

Carlos Carrasco got knocked around for four runs in the second inning to put the Yankees in a hole and they could not quite make it all the way back, falling to the Orioles 5-4 to drop the series at Camden Yards.

Judge went 3-for-3 with a home run, an intentional walk and two RBIs to finish the month of April batting .427 with a 1.282 OPS.

But he was left in the on-deck circle when Orioles closer Felix Bautista struck out Trent Grisham to end the game.

Carrasco lasted just 3 ¹/₃ innings while giving up four runs on eight hits.

The veteran right-hander, who needs to have pinpoint command because of his diminished velocity, threw a first-pitch strike to only eight of the 18 batters he faced.

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That particularly hurt him in a four-run second inning in which he consistently fell behind in the count.

It was 1-0 when Jackson Holliday hit a leadoff single and 1-0 when Ryan Mountcastle crushed a slider for a two-run shot that tied the game.

Then it was 2-0 when Ramon Urias drilled a fastball for a solo shot and the 3-2 lead.

Carrasco was ahead 1-2 when Gunnar Henderson singled, but then fell behind 2-0 to Adley Rutschman, who delivered an RBI single to put the Orioles (12-18) up 4-2.

After Paul Goldschmidt clubbed his second home run of the year to pull the Yankees (18-13) within 4-3 in the top of the fifth, the Orioles added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning off Tim Hill that proved to be the difference.

Hill, who relieved Carrasco in the bottom of the fourth and stranded a runner on second, walked back-to-back hitters to lead off the fifth.

Ramon Laureano then hit a ground ball up the middle that Anthony Volpe booted to load the bases for Holliday, who drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-3.

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The benches briefly cleared in the bottom of the fourth after Pablo Reyes landed on Heston Kjerstad’s head after leaping to catch a throw at second base.

Kjerstad, who was stealing second, appeared to take exception to Reyes making too much contact with his head and began chirping at him.

Reyes engaged, sparking the benches and bullpens clearing, though it quickly fizzled out from there.

For the second straight night, Judge clobbered a first-inning home run, this one with Trent Grisham on first base for the 2-0 lead off left-hander Cade Povich.

Judge then delivered again in the seventh, when the Orioles decided to pitch to him with two outs and Oswald Peraza on third base.

Facing righty reliever Yennier Cano, Judge ripped a single through the left side to make it a 5-4 game.

An inning prior, the Yankees had a prime chance to score with runners on the corners and one out.

But lefty reliever Keegan Akin got Reyes and Jasson Domínguez (from the right side) to strike out looking.