Baltimore Orioles 7 – New York Yankees 3
Yankees unable to complete the sweep after a dreadful seventh inning in today’s 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Brett Gardner was a spark for the Yankees offense. In the first inning, Gardner hit a double into the right field corner. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano make two outs but Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen walked Alfonso Soriano and Alex Rodriguez to load the bases. Unfortunately, Vernon Wells was too anxious on some inside fastballs and would eventually strike out looking on a outside fastball.
In the third inning, Gardner would spark the offense with his second double in as many at-bats. Alfonso Soriano would come through with a single to center field for the first run of the game.
In the fourth inning, Chen got himself into trouble. With one out, Mark Reynolds worked a nine-pitch at-bat into a walk. Eduardo Nunez would follow with a double to put runners in scoring position with one out. Chris Stewart would walk on four straight to load the bases for the hot-hitting Brett Gardner. Chen continued to struggle when he walked Gardner on four straight for the second run of the game. Derek Jeter would have his second productive out of the game when he got a sacrifice fly for the third run of the game.
Andy Pettitte was cruising today. He gave up a pair of singles to start the third inning but got three consecutive pop outs, including an off-balance, over-the-shoulder catch by Mark Reynolds that pumped up the veteran lefty. In the sixth inning, Andy Pettitte got Manny Machado out before Adam Jones reached with a single.
Then in a bit of a glimpse into the past, Alex Rodriguez found himself in the middle of a double play at second base. With Chris Davis batting, the Yankees implemented a shift to the right side of the infield and Alex Rodriguez found himself, positioned where the shortstop would normally be. When the ground ball went to the right side of second, shortstop Eduardo Nunez fielded the ball and tossed it to Rodriguez to turn an unusual 6-5-3 double play.
To start the seventh inning, Andy Pettitte would give up two line drive singles and Joe Girardi determined that, at 93 pitches, it was time to turn the game over to a rested bullpen.
Normally good, Shawn Kelley was called on to strand two inherited runners. He would give up the first Orioles run on a single by Matt Wieters. Then, J.J. Hardy jumped on the first pitch fastball from Kelley and went the opposite way. The three-run home run by Hardy would be just out of the reach of Curtis Granderson. The Yankees went from leading 3-0 to trailing 4-3 after two batters.
Andy Pettitte’s line featured two runs, scoring with Kelley on the mound. While in the game, Pettitte lasted six innings with seven hits and three walks.
Boone Logan would come in for Kelley and would not record an out, allowing a single and a walk before Joba Chamberlain would enter on a high leverage situation, two on and still no one out. Joba would be gifted an out when Manny Machado bunted out. But Joba would hang a slider to Adam Jones and the centerfielder would go to center field for a three-run home run.
The deflating seventh inning featured seven runs and the Orioles batted around.
The Yankees would be unable to rally back and they did not complete the sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.
Win – Kevin Gausman (2-3)
Loss – Shawn Kelley (4-2)
Notables
Orioles
*J.J. Hardy – 2 for 4, R, 3-Run Home Run (24) in the 7th, 3 RBI (70)
*Adam Jones – 2 for 5, R, 3-Run Home Run (28) in the 7th, 3 RBI (98)
Yankees
*Brett Gardner – 2 for 4, R, BB, 2 2B, RBI (44)
*Alfonso Soriano – 1 for 4, BB, RBI (87)
Current Yankees Record: 72-64
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