New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
BALTIMORE (Interstat) — Trevor Rogers threw six dominant innings of one-hit ball, and the Baltimore Orioles dealt the New York Yankees a 4-2 setback Friday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, snapping the visitors’ three-game winning streak.
The loss was a blow to the Yankees (86-68) in their attempt to gain ground on Toronto atop the AL East, as they entered the night three games behind the Blue Jays. The last-place Orioles (73-81) improved to 12-5 in September.
Rogers (9-2) was the story, continuing his sensational partial season. The left-hander stifled the Yankees’ lineup, striking out seven and walking one while lowering his ERA to 1.35 over 17 starts. The only hit he allowed was a single to Austin Wells in the sixth inning.
The Orioles provided just enough offense against Yankees starter Will Warren (8-8). Ryan Mountcastle put Baltimore on the board in the second inning with a solo home run, his sixth of the year, to left-center field.
The game turned in a messy sixth inning for New York. With the score tied 1-1, Baltimore’s Jordan Westburg reached on a fielding error by Warren. Gunnar Henderson then singled, and a throwing error by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the play allowed both runners to advance. Mountcastle lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Westburg and tie the game. Later in the inning, Samuel Basallo grounded into a forceout that allowed Henderson to score the go-ahead run.
New York briefly responded in the top of the seventh. After two quick outs, Austin Slater singled. Chisholm Jr. then launched a two-run homer, his 30th of the season, to right-center field to tie the game at 3-3.
The tie was short-lived. Baltimore answered right back in the bottom of the seventh when Henderson laced a run-scoring double off Mark Leiter Jr. to plate Westburg and provide the final 4-2 margin.
The Yankees threatened in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with one out, but reliever Rico Garcia induced a groundout from Giancarlo Stanton to end the inning. Keegan Akin then worked a perfect ninth, striking out two, to earn his eighth save of the season.
The game-time temperature was 72 degrees, and the contest was played in 2 hours, 30 minutes before an announced crowd of 26,269.
The two teams continue their three-game series on Saturday.