Yankees Game 128: Yankees continue to tear the cover off the ball in win
Baltimore Orioles 5 - New York Yankees 13 The day after the New York Yankees put up 14 runs, fans in the Bronx hoped they would see a repeat showing on Saturday afternoon. The Yankees would strike quickly in the bottom of the first inning on a double by Mark Teixeira which followed walks to Jacoby Ellsbury and Gary Sanchez, giving them a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Following a one out walk to Mark Trumbo, the Orioles would get the run plus one back in the third inning on a two run home-run by Chris Davis. The Yankees would work a three-run, two out rally in the bottom of the third. After singles by Teixeira and Didi Gregorius, Starlin Castro would also hit a single, scoring Teixeira from second and advancing Gregorius to third. A double steal by the Yankees and an incredible slide into home by Didi gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead. He was initially called out, but the call was overturned on the replay challenge by manager Joe Giardi; the replay showing Gregorius pull his left arm back to avoid the tag by Matt Weiters. Brian McCann slapped a double down the left field line scoring Castro from second. Hicks walked, but that would be it, leaving the Yankees with a 4-2 lead after three innings.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Sanchez would continue to swing a hot bat as he hit his 11th home-run in the last two weeks to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead. He is the fastest player in MLB history to hit 11 home-runs, doing so in his 23rd game in the Bronx. Back-to-back home-runs for Trumbo and Davis would leave the Yankees with just a one run lead. Chad Green would pitch just 4.2 innings this afternoon. He allowed four runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The long ball was not his friend this afternoon as he served up three to the Orioles. Tommy Layne would take over for Green to face Pedro Alvarez in the top of the fifth with two outs. Alvarez would hit soft ground ball to end the inning. The Yankees would bat around in the bottom of the fifth inning with Gregorius being be hit by a pitch to lead off. Castro would waste no time crushing a two-run shot on a high fastball to left field. McCann would walk following the home-run to see yet another ball fly out of the park off the bat of Aaron Hicks, extending the Yankees lead to five. Adam Warren came on with two outs in the sixth to face Manny Machado. Following a grounder past Ronald Torreyes, Warren would get Hyun Soo Kim to ground out to end their half of the inning.
The Yankees would again open it up in the bottom of the sixth. Didi led off with a walk, followed by another single by Castro. McCann would slap another single into left scoring Didi and advancing Castro to third. Hicks would keep it going with an RBI single to center field and Mychal Givens would load the bases for the Yankees by hitting Torreyes with a pitch. After the pitching change, Brett Gardner would get an RBI on an infield single that dribbled towards first. Unfortunately the Yankees couldn't add any more. In the bottom half of the seventh, Castro and McCann would each single, and Torreyes would walk. Austin Romine joined the hit parade with a single in the eighth, later to score on an RBI single by Didi. Warren and Tyler Clippard held the Orioles scoreless in the seventh and eighth, respectively. Kirby Yates would allow one run on back-to-back hits by Machado and Kim, but would close out Baltimore to secure the win. Win – Tommy Layne (1-1) Loss – Dylan Bundy (7-5) Notables Baltimore Orioles *Chris Davis -2 for 3, 2 R, 2 HR (32, 3rd inning & 5th inning), 3 RBI (72) *Mark Trumbo -1 for 2, 2 R, HR (39, 5th inning), RBI (94), 2 BB New York Yankees *Starlin Castro -4 for 6, 3 R, HR (18, 5th inning), 3 RBI (60) *Brian McCann -3 for 4, R, 2 RBI (50), BB *Aaron Hicks - 2 for 4, R, 3 RBI (28), BB Current Yankees Record: 67-61