Series Recap: Yankees become Birdland Bombers in sweep
The New York Yankees kept multiple streaks going in their three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.
With the sweep, the Yankees have won eight straight contests and have yet to lose in August. The Bronx Bombers also completed the season series sweep with a 10-0 record this year at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which ran their overall streak to 15 consecutive wins in Baltimore dating back to 2018. In addition, 17 Yankees have hit home runs against the Orioles and New York has homered 52 times against Baltimore this season, an MLB record.
GAME 1
It was closer than it needed to be but really the Yankees essentially toyed with the Orioles. Smashing five home runs, the Bronx Bombers reached 32 home runs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, most by a team at a visiting ballpark in a single season. All of it added up to a 9-6 victory.
AUSTIN POWERS
During the second stanza, Austin Romine kept hitting like red hot magma. The Yanks backstop cracked a 2-2 sinker from Gabriel Ynoa to left, providing New York with a 1-0 edge.
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CUT IT SHORT
The Orioles squared the contest at one against Masahiro Tanaka in the third inning on a Trey Mancini RBI-single to center. It could've been worse if not for Didi Gregorius. On a double to center by the ensuing batter Anthony Santander, Gregorius took the cutoff throw from Brett Gardner and fired home to nail Mancini at the dish.
With runners at the corners and two down in the fourth, Gregorius cut a Romine throw to second and vanquished Jace Peterson at the plate to retire the side.
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BREYVHEART
Victimizing his former teammates and reclaiming the lead for his current club, Breyvic Valera ripped a two-run triple to right in the fifth. Valera would score on a fielder's choice to shortstop by DJ LeMahieu.
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OPPO TACO TATERS
Facing Branden Kline in the sixth, the Bronx Bombers lead climbed to 5-1 as Brett Gardner lifted a solo smash to left. Later in the frame, Mike Tauchman took Kline yard to left as well for a 6-1 lead. Who says this Yankee outfield lacks for power?
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SLIP SLIDIN' AWAY
Unfortunately, Tanaka's troubles continued as the New York advantage withered away in the home half of the sixth. A two-run tater to center by the ex-Yankee Peterson and a sac fly RBI by Chris Davis, a few batters later would chase Tanaka.
Tommy Kahnle, who was July Pitcher of the Month, had a rare hiccup after whiffing Steve Wilkerson. Jonathan Villar, who would hit for the cycle, squared the contest at six with a two-run tater to right-center.
MIKE AND MIKE
Facing Paul Fry in the eighth, it was next savage up. Belle Mead, N.J. native Mike Ford rocked a towering solo swat to right, putting New York in front at 7-6.
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Later in the frame with Gardner on, Tauchman torpedoed his second home run of the game to left, increasing the Yankee lead to 9-6.
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QUELLING THE THREAT
Settling down the Baltimore bats, Adam Ottavino worked a flawless seventh. Ex-Oriole Zack Britton kept the ball down in a scoreless eighth. Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth to lock it down.
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GAME 2
The Bronx Bombers kept clobbering the ball as the mostly Triple-A Scranton pitching held up longer than the Double-A Bowie staff. Their 9-4 victory set a franchise record with 14-straight wins at an opposing ballpark. Plus, smacking six solo shots, New York became the first team in MLB history with four games of 5+ homers at a road ballpark in a single season. All was well except for Torres exiting with an injury.
EUTAW STREET BOMBERS
During the third inning, the Yankee bats were launching against Asher Wojciechowski and landing in Paul O'Neill/Darryl Strawberry territory.
Tauchman kept on his tear with a solo screamer to right, posting the Yanks to a 1-0 edge.
The ensuing batter LeMahieu had no trouble with the curve, crushing a solo blast to center.
Two batters later, Gregorius powered the ball onto Eutaw Street, joining the likes of O'Neill, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, and Curtis Granderson, in Yankee lore.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1158951772750340096?s=20
BEST MIKE T. IN THE LEAGUE
Can we talk some more about Tauchman? Of course! Dude was ballin' in B-more.
With Stephen Tarpley on the bump in the fourth frame, Tauchman was airborne in left and robbed Pedro Severino of a home run.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1158923581889425408?s=20
In addition to the aforementioned home run and catch, Tauchman capped off the evening by slicing a two-run double to left in the eighth and swiped third base as well.
Be like Mike was the mantra all night long.
RO-RO MAKES 'EM GO GO
Also having himself a night was Romine. The Yankee backstop scorched a two-run double to center in the fourth.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1158915889351335936?s=20
Facing Tayler Scott in the sixth, Romine swatted a solo homer to center, his second in as many contests.
Romine recorded three extra-base hits on the evening.
HUG IT OUT
Capping off the offense against David Hess in the ninth, Gardner and Cameron Maybin crushed a pair of consecutive home runs to raise the Yankees advantage to 9-4.
PITCHING ON A STRING
Skipper Aaron Boone pushed his pitchers out of the pen but knew when to use the hook. Jonathan Holder worked a pair of scoreless frames before allowing two runs in the third, cutting the New York lead to 3-2. From there, Boone turned to Tarpley, who tossed two innings before surrendering a two-run tater to Anthony Santander in the fifth, cutting the Yankee lead to 5-4.
Nestor Cortes Jr. provided New York with 2.1 scoreless frames before an eighth-inning walk prompted Boone to summon Adam Ottavino. A slick double-play started by Gregorius helped Ottavino exit with a mere five pitches and pick up the save with a scoreless ninth as well.
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GAME 3
The Bronx Bombers completed the sweep in slugging style. Posting another football score, the Yankees crushed the O's by a final count of 14-2.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1159282139332009984?s=20
MULTIPLE MASHES
After shockingly playing three scoreless innings, the New York lineup busted out in the fourth frame against John Means.
Following an RBI-single to no man's land in right by Maybin, who also went yard in the ninth and recorded a four-hit night, Kyle Higashioka teed off with a three-run round-tripper to straightaway center. Higgy would smash a two-run tater to left off Hess in the ninth to cap off the scoring.
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Ahead 4-1 in the fifth and facing Miguel Castro, Urshela hammered a two-run homer to left-center.
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Urshela was back for more in the sixth against Scott. After RBI singles from LeMahieu and Judge, Urshela clocked a two-run homer to center for career-hit 200 and team home run No. 200 on the campaign.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1159269188797640706?s=20
A hustle ground out by Gardner would cap off the scoring in the sixth.
When it all added up, the Yankees had their eleventh multi-home run game against the O's and tenth at Baltimore. Plus, the Bronx Bombers equaled the 1977 Boston Red Sox with 5+ home runs in three consecutive contests.
SNACK PAX
James Paxton made more strides and ate up Oriole bats. The lefty didn't yield a hit until there was two down in the third inning. Paxton did feature a mixed repertoire of pitches but his out pitch was more geared toward the fastball and cutter. Paxton tossed 6.2 frames, fanned seven, allowed five hits, one walk, and his lone blip was a home run by Mancini in the fourth inning.
Chance Adams went the rest of the way to finish off the Birds.
ON DECK
At 75-39, the Yankees travel to Toronto to take on the Toronto Blue Jays for a four-game series starting Thursday evening.
Pithing probables, Domingo German vs. Thomas Pannone, J.A. Happ vs. Sean Reid-Foley, Masahiro Tanaka vs. Jacob Waguespack, TBD vs. Trent Thornton.