The Baltimore Orioles, took two of three from the New York Yankees to keep their very slim playoff hopes alive at Yankee Stadium.
After splitting the first two games, the Birds won the final game of the series 5-3, behind seven strong innings from starter Ubaldo Jimenez who improved to ( 11-9) with a 4.22 ERA. He struck out eight, allowed four hits and three runs while not allowing any walks.
The offense was paced by slugger Chris Davis who went 2-2 with two RBIs. With the game tied at 3-3 in the seventh inning, Steve Pearce, who nearly had three homers in the game, hit a solo shot, his 10th, in the eighth inning to give the Orioles the lead for good.
The Orioles added a big insurance run in the ninth inning and closer Zach Britton came in to record his 32nd save of the year.
In the first game of the series, a 8-6 Yankees win, New York clobbered three homers, including a big three-run homer by Greg Bird who broke open a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning.
The Orioles had tied the game in the top of the seventh inning on Manny Machado’s 27th homer of the year which tied the game at 5-5. The Birds managed a solo run in the ninth but their rally fell short.
The offense was led by Jonathan Schoop who launched a three-run homer in the second inning, which gave the Orioles an early 4-1 lead, and Machado who went 2-5 with two RBIs.
Oriole’s starter Wei-Yin Chen (8-7, 3.48 ERA) allowed nine hits, five runs and struck out five with one walk in five innings of work.
In the middle game of the series, a 2-1 Baltimore victory, Davis hit his Major League leading 41st home run in the ninth inning to give his team the victory.
The Oriole’s bullpen picked up starter Kevin Gausman with three scoreless innings of work. He surrendered six hits, struck out five and gave up one run in five innings of work. Britton came on in the ninth inning to earn his 31st save of the year.
Meanwhile, Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka was very good. He struck out 10, allowed six hits and one run, while walking one in eight innings of work.
After this uplifting series for Baltimore, the Orioles at (67-72) must go on an extended winning streak with 23 games to play in the season to have any hopes of reaching the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Yankees on the other hand, at (77-61) appear headed for either the A.L. East Crown or a Wild Card berth in the playoffs.
