Ben Rice homer not enough as Orioles top Yankees 3‑2

BALTIMORE (Interstat) — Coby Mayo hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, erasing a two-run deficit and lifting the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Monday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Mayo, who entered the game batting .158, drove a 1-2 pitch from Yankees reliever Brent Headrick into the left-field seats after Adley Rutschman had singled and Tyler O’Neill walked. The home run was Mayo’s fourth of the season and gave the Orioles their first lead, snapping a streak of four consecutive losses to the Yankees dating to May 1.

Baltimore’s victory came despite being held to three hits, all after the sixth inning. The Yankees managed five hits, but the Orioles’ bullpen shut them down over the final three innings.

Yankees starter Ryan Weathers took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, retiring the first 18 batters he faced. He struck out nine and walked one over 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on one hit. The no-hit bid ended when Rutschman led off the seventh with a bouncer up the middle that got past shortstop Max Schuemann. O’Neill followed with a walk before Yankees manager Aaron Boone replaced Weathers with Headrick.

Headrick, who had been 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA entering the game, allowed the home run to Mayo, two hits and one earned run in two-thirds of an inning. He took the loss, his first of the season.

Orioles starter Brandon Young matched Weathers for much of the game, allowing two runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two. Young retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced before Ben Rice’s two-run homer in the third inning put the Yankees ahead.

The Yankees scored both of their runs in the third. With one out, Trent Grisham drew a walk, and Rice followed by driving a 2-1 pitch from Young over the left-center-field fence. The home run was Rice’s 13th of the season and gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

New York threatened again in the sixth when Aaron Judge led off with a double, but Young induced a groundout from Cody Bellinger that moved Judge to third. Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out and Ryan McMahon grounded out to end the inning.

Young was replaced by Dietrich Enns after the sixth. Enns pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. He earned the win, his first of the season.

The Orioles’ bullpen combined for four scoreless innings. Rico Garcia pitched a perfect eighth with two strikeouts, and Anthony Nunez worked a scoreless ninth for his second save. Nunez allowed a one-out single to Paul Goldschmidt but then caught pinch runner José Caballero stealing second base to end the game. The call was upheld after a replay review.

The Yankees’ defense was sharp early. Center fielder Trent Grisham made several routine catches, and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. turned a double play in the first inning. New York pitchers combined for 22 strikes and 49 balls, while Baltimore pitchers threw 15 strikes and 45 balls. The game lasted 2 hours, 31 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 23,160.

New York fell to 26-16, while Baltimore improved to 19-23. The Orioles had lost three of their previous four games, including a 12-1 defeat to the Yankees on May 4. The Yankees had won five of their last six but were coming off a series loss to Milwaukee in which they scored just three runs in three games.

Key performances included Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who went 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs. Judge finished 1 for 4 with a double. For Baltimore, Mayo went 1 for 2 with a walk and the three RBIs. Rutschman had the team’s only other hit, a single in the seventh. Enns earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Nunez recorded the save with a perfect ninth other than the single.

The series continues Tuesday night at Camden Yards. The Yankees then head to New York for a three-game set against the Mets, while the Orioles travel to Washington to face the Nationals.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York Yankees 6, Baltimore Orioles 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Yankees a 61.00 percent probability to win. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 5 went over the over/under line of 9.