Baltimore Orioles 0 — New York Yankees 5
Michael Pineda dominates the Yankees and a rookie as a night to remember.
Through the first four innings, Michael Pineda was perfect. His sharp slider with a blazing fastball got three strikeouts and kept the Orioles from reaching base. Through the first two innings, Wei-Yin Chen was able to keep up with Pineda but the third inning would not go Chen’s way.
After a slightly wide throw by third baseman Ryan Flaherty pulled first baseman Christian Walker off of first base, Ichiro Suzuki reached to start the inning. Jose Pirela got the start at designated hitter tonight and came up big in his first major league at-bat. With a deep fly ball to left center field, Pirela raced his way around the bases and slid headfirst into third base for his first major league hit, a run-scoring triple. After a fly ball that was not deep enough to score Pirela, Derek Jeter would succeed with a ground out that brought home Pirela and made it a two-run game.
The franchise record 57th player used this season, Jose Pirela hit a triple in his first major league at-bat. The last Yankee to achieve such a feat is Steve Balboni (seriously) on April 22, 1981.
With one out in the fifth inning, J.J. Hardy would hit a single to left field and it broke the streak of 13 straight retired to start the game. Pineda would respond by striking out five of the next eight batters that came up to the plate. In the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs, Jose Pirela would get his second hit in as many at-bats, a single to right field. Brett Gardner would walk and Derek Jeter would succeed yet again with a double to left field that scores Pirela and Gardner and made it a four-run game.
After dominating the Orioles through the sixth and seventh inning, Pineda would get one more out in the eighth inning before a walk was the cue that his night was over. After Pineda exited to a very warm reception by the Yankee Stadium crowd, Shawn Kelley would enter and got a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.
In 7.1 scoreless innings, Michael Pineda surrendered just one hit while walking one and striking out a season-high eight. Arguably one of his best starts against one of the better offensive teams in the league.
Chase Headley would add another run in the eighth inning when he hit a home run to deep center field. The runs would be fun but the way the pitching was tonight, they only needed one. Kelley would start the ninth inning with a strikeout before Rich Hill and David Phelps combined to complete a dominant one-hitter by the Yankees pitching staff.
Win – Michael Pineda (4-5)
Loss – Wei-Yin Chen (16-5)
Notables
Orioles
*J.J. Hardy – 1 for 3
Yankees
*Jose Pirela – 2 for 3, 2 R, 3B, RBI (1)
*Derek Jeter – 1 for 3, BB, 2B, 3 RBI (46)
Current Yankees Record: 81-75
