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Series Recap
·9 min read

Series Recap: Yankees take two from Orioles

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Finishing off the month of April the New York Yankees played host to the American League East rival Baltimore Orioles. When it was all said and done the Bronx Bombers would take 2-of-3 and find themselves tied atop the division. The lineup posted 30 runs over the weekend, boast an AL-best plus-43 run differential and saw the return of their starting shortstop, who went 7-for-15 with 4-RBI.

Game 1 between the O’s and Yanks meant no baseball or lead was safe and no wall was too high or far at Yankee Stadium. This one saw the Bronx Bombers overcome deficits of 9-1 and 11-4, hitting for the home run cycle and ultimately winning 14-11 in walk-off fashion.

WELCOME BACK SIR

For the first time in 2017, Didi Gregorius returned as starting shortstop in pinstripes. For the sake of sanity on “Yankees Twitter” Gregorius appeared to be in mid-season form. The Yankees shortstop was sharp in the field and collected a pair of hits and a RBI in his season debut.

DOWN IN A HOLE

Feeling so small. After CC Sabathia tossed two scoreless frames, the Baltimore bats woke up in the third. A two-out, two-run double to center by Manny Machado, gave the Birds a 2-0 advantage.

Moving to the fourth, Chris Davis reached on a hit-by-pitch and ensuing batter Wellington Castillo doubled the Orioles lead with a home run to right.

A Machado smash to deep center made it 5-0 in the fifth.

Down 5-1 in the sixth, Sabathia found himself in trouble again. With two down and two on Sabathia was pulled for Bryan Mitchell. Mitchell issued an unintentional intentional walk to Machado but wasn’t out of the clear. Mark Trumbo launched a bomb to left and his grand slam increased the O’s lead to 9-1.

A two-run single in the seventh by Johnathan Schoop in the seventh, the Orioles had themselves an 11-4 advantage.

CHIPPING AND RIPPING

In mounting their comeback the Yankees chipped away and ripped off some screaming home runs. A line drive long ball to center by Aaron Judge helped the Bombers get on the board in the fifth.

With Kevin Gausman still on the bump in the sixth, Matt Holliday started the rally, doubling to left. A Starlin Castro single to center moved Holliday to third. A groundout by Gregorius sent Holliday home and Castro to second. What came next was another crush job by Judge to center and the Yankees closed to 9-4.

ONE HUNDRED AND ONE GRAND

During the seventh with the bases loaded Jacoby Ellsbury took ex-Yankee Vidal Nuno deep to right. Ellsbury’s first career grand slam was also career home run No. 100.

He became the first Yankee to accomplish both feats in one swing since Matt Nokes pulled it off on May 13, 1992, against Erik Hanson and the Seattle Mariners.

The blast pulled the pinstripes within three at 11-8.

STAR POSE LIKE REGGIE

Trailing by three in the ninth the Bronx Bombers were far from finished. Facing Brad Brach, Chase Headley walked and Holliday singled to center, setting up runners at the corners. Ellsbury grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop, plating Headley. Next was Castro with a smoke shot to left, finishing in the fashion familiar of Reggie Jackson and Adrian Beltre. With the contest tied at eleven, it was onto extras.

OFFICIAL YANKEE

Holliday played the role of hero in the tenth. With two aboard and Holliday facing Jayson Aquino, the Yankees designated hitter slammed a walk-off home run into the bullpen in center. The blast secured a 14-11 Yankees victory.

GARDY JOINS THE PARTY

A night after Matt Holliday walked off against the O’s, Brett Gardner took the baton and jump started the Yankee offense. Gardy’s first solo round tripper to right off Ubaldo Jimenez sported the Bronx Bombers a 1-0 lead. The feat marked the first time the Yankees hit consecutive home runs on a walk off and lead off since Roberto Kelly on Aug. 5-6 of 1990 against the Cleveland Indians.

Following a sacrifice fly by Austin Romine, Gardy was twice as nice in the second stanza. Again, Gardner drilled a 1-0 offering, this time to right-center and it was 3-0 Yankees.

MAMBO NUMBER 5

Not since Lou Bega was on the charts has a No. 9 hitter delivered on the level of Romine Saturday afternoon. Including the aforementioned sac fly, a two-run single in the fourth and a two-run tater to left in the sixth gave the Yankee backstop a five-RBI day. One would have to go back to Aug. 23, 1999, when Joe Girardi knocked in seven from the nine hole at Texas.

MATINEE MIKE

Normally a witch in day starts Michael Pineda toiled and battled under the Stadium sun. Facing a Baltimore lineup which totaled 11 runs the evening before, “Big Mike” earned this victory. Posting eight K’s, including a 12-pitch strikeout of Machado in the first frame.

Pineda also received some support from his defense on a ball hit by Machado, snagged by Headley at third during the third inning. In total Pineda worked 5.1 frames for the victory.

JUDGE IS JETERIAN

With two down in the seventh, the Yankees worked some more magic against Jayson Aquino. Following a single by Castro and a double off the wall in right by Gregorius, Judge was on center stage.

On a 0-1 delivery, the rookie right fielder put a patterned inside-out swing on a ball which cleared the bullpen in right. The drive capped off the Yankee scoring in their 12-4 victory. Plus, Judge’s eleventh  league-leading tenth home run placed him in elite company, tying Trevor Story and Jose Abreu for the all-time rookie record in April.

GET BACK TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED

Following their 12-4 victory, the Bronx Bombers improved their home record to an AL-best 10-1. New York also claimed sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time since Aug. 22, 2015.

STRANGE, SURREAL, STRANDED

Game 3 featured a little bit of everything as the Yankees closed out the month of April and their series with the Orioles in a 7-4 loss in 11 innings. Despite a ninth inning comeback, New York was only 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 16 men on base.

HOMER HAPPY HOLLIDAY

For the second time in as many days, the Bronx Bombers were beneficiaries of a home run in the first frame. Holliday swatted his fourth of the season to left-center, off Wade Miley and sported the Yankees a 1-0 edge.

SMALL BALL BALTIMORE

During the third, some small ball coupled with sloppy defense helped the O’s tie the contest at one. With one down, Craig Gentry reached on an infield single to shortstop. After Gentry swiped second, Jordan Montgomery issued a walk to J.J. Hardy. While Montgomery would fan Joey Rickard, a third strike wild pitch enabled Gentry to take third. Ensuing hitter Adam Jones singled to right, plating Gentry.

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

In the home half of the third, the Yankees would quickly retake the lead. Consecutive one-out walks to Castro and Judge set up a RBI single to right-center by Headley. Yet, it could have been so much more. After a Gregorius single loaded the bases, Chris Carter whiffed and Kyle Higashioka popped out to second.

SLOPPY SIXTH

Despite seven K’s, Montgomery and company unraveled in the sixth. Montgomery was pulled after issuing consecutive free passes to Machado and Trumbo. With Johnathan Holder on in relief, Castillo loaded the bases with a single to center. Although they were playing for the double play, Headley probably could have cut down Machado at the plate on a ball hit by Trey Mancini to third. Yet, Headley could only record the force and second and the Orioles squared the game at two.

More trouble ensued as Schoop lined a RBI double to center and Gentry doubled the lead to 4-2 on a groundout to short.

RALLY AND RIDICULOUSNESS

Facing Darren O’Day with one on and one out, Castro beat out a potential game-ending double play ball. Following a walk to Judge, O’Day was called for a balk, which was initially thought to have been an obstruction on Hardy at second. In any event, O’s skipper Buck Showalter was ejected for arguing the call and the Yankees had runners in scoring position.

After Headley coaxed a walk, Donnie Hart was brought in from the bullpen. The lefty-lefty matchup didn’t phase Sir Didi one iota, as he ripped a game-tying, two-run single to center.

As the game moved to extras, Mitchell, who pitched the ninth, was moved to first base and Chapman came on to pitch. Yup, you read me right. Mitchell would drop a foul pop and make a catch for the second out of the inning. Mitchell became the first Yankees pitcher to play a position since Ron Guidry played center field on July 24, 1983 against the Kansas City Royals, during the resumption of the George Brett pine tar game. Chapman held down the Orioles but it was certainly something one doesn’t see every day.

When the Yankees failed to score with the bases loaded in the tenth, Baltimore capitalized in the eleventh. With Mitchell back on the mound and Bird entering at first base, the best-laid plans of mice and manager’s went astray.

A Rickard single and steal, plus an intentional walk to Machado, set up another bout between Mitchell and Trumbo. Once again Trumbo victimized the Yankees reliever/first baseman/reliever, with a RBI single to center. A two-run single to right by Castillo provided the Orioles insurance and a 7-4 advantage.

It wasn’t a pretty ending but the Yankees finish the month at 15-8 and tied for first place in the AL East.

ON DECK

At 15-8 on the campaign, the Yankees begin their May slate at Yankee Stadium and take on the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series starting Monday evening. Coming off a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Jays are 8-17.

Pitching probables include Marco Estrada vs. Luis Severino, Mat Latos vs. Masahiro Tanaka, Marcus Stroman vs. CC Sabathia.