Judge holds court with pair of rips

BALTIMORE — On Sunday, Aaron Judge showed his potential. In the sixth inning, he ripped a single that left his bat at 115.9 mph and nearly cleared the left-field wall. Two innings later, he blasted the game-tying homer over it.

And with two outs in the ninth, he made a diving catch to seal the Yankees’ 7-3 comefrom-behind victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

“I really didn’t feel both of them, to be honest,” Judge said of his two hits, which included his first homer of the year. “I was just glad to make some contact and get on base. The first (homer) is always the toughest.”

Judge had begun the 2017 season in a 2-for-15 slump after winning the starting job in right field with an outstanding spring.

“For me, I just wasn’t being aggressive,” the 24-year-old said. “You want to get your pitch. You want to make sure you’re aggressive and going after it.”

Judge is fired up for the first home opener of his career at Yankee Stadium on Monday.

“I’m most looking forward to the fans,” he said. “That’s probably my favorite thing, when I run out to stretch and I take a peek around the ballpark. You start soaking in the moment. Not too many people get to wear pinstripes and be on the field. Any time I get to be out there and enjoy what’s going on, I’m looking forward to that. Seeing Yankee Stadium packed. I’m just excited for the ballgame.”

Judge is also getting more comfortable as a big-league player.

“It’s a different deal, a different atmosphere, playing in front of more people, bigger situations,” he said. “Now you’re getting big-name guys coming out of the bullpen that have been starters. I think we’re all going to handle it well the more games we get and the more comfortable we get as the season goes on.”

BIG OPENER FOR BIG MIKE

Michael Pineda lasted just 3.2 innings in his first start of 2017 against the Rays, giving up four runs on eight hits. In the second inning, he gave up three two-out hits, something that has burned him in the past. “Tomorrow’s a big day for me, and I’m really thinking and focusing when I get into a (two-out) situation,” said Pineda, who will start for the Yankees on Monday against the same Rays at the Stadium in the team’s home opener. “I’ll try to make my best pitch and do my best. It’s hard because sometimes when you get into that situation you try to do your best and make your best pitch, and sometimes they make adjustments and get a base hit.”