The Baltimore Orioles, soaring on the strength of a season-high six-game winning streak, took two out of three from their upstate rival, the New York Yankees at a boisterous Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The first game of the three game affair saw Baltimore crush New York, 11-3. Orioles slugger Chris “Crush” Davis powered the offense with a three-run “flag court” homer, his 13th of the year. He went 3-5 with four RBIs. Designated hitter Jimmy Paredes also collected three hits in five at bats and had two RBIs.
Every starter in the lineup had at least one hit and the team was a combined 9-19 with RISP. The Birds scored four in the third and four in the sixth inning to put the game away. Catcher Caleb Joseph went 3-4 with one RBI as he doubled and hit his fifth homer of the year.
Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 3.19 ERA) surrendered six hits, struck out six, gave up three runs and walked two in five innings of work. He was at his best in the first inning when he got out of a bases loaded no-out jam without giving up any runs. The bullpen gave up three hits but no runs in four innings of relief work.
The second game of the series, a 9-4 Orioles victory, saw third baseman Manny Machado be the “four-RBI man.” He went 3-5 with a two-run homer, his 11th of the year. Nolan Reimold also had a two-run homer and a triple while going 2-5 at the plate.
David Lough also hit a solo homer and combined with back-to-back doubles which gave the Orioles two important insurance runs in the seventh inning.
Starter Bud Norris gave up eight hits, struck out five and surrendered four runs in five and 2/3 innings of work. The bullpen gave up three hits but struck out four as reliever Darren O’Day closed out the game for the Orioles sixth straight victory.
The Yankees got revenge in the series finale and avoided a sweep, beating the Birds 5-3 and ending their six-game winning streak.
Orioles spot starter, Mike Wright, who was filling in for the injured Miguel Gonzalez, had a tough day as he gave up one run in the first and second innings. The O’s rallied, as they did all weekend to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth but Wright walked three in the fifth and his day was done.
With the bases loaded reliever Brian Matusz, who was back from an eight game suspension for having “stuff” on his arm, walked the first batter he faced and that tied the game at 3-3. After two strikeouts he surrendered a double which scored two runs and was the difference in the game.
The Orioles, who had an answer when the Yankees scored all weekend, were never able to mount a comeback and were shutout for the final five innings
Reimold, who has provided a spark since returning to the Orioles lineup, went 1-3 with two RBIs.
When the dust settled the Orioles found themselves with a record of (31-31) and with a .500 record in fourth place in the American League East only three games behind the first place Yankees who have a (34-28) record.
