BALTIMORE (AP) — Cedric Mullins delivered a winning sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, Trey Mancini had his first three-hit game since returning from colon cancer surgery, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 4-3 Thursday for a four-game series split.
Mancini had an RBI single in the first and hit a tying solo homer in the sixth on a flat cutter from Jordan Montgomery, who shook off the initial sign from catcher Gary Sánchez. The 29-year-old Mancini had his first back-to-back multi-hit games since Sept. 23-24, 2019. Mancini missed the 2020 season while being treated for cancer.
“I’ve definitely felt better the last couple days,” said Mancini, who raised his average from .212 to .247 over the last two games. “I know I’ve had a couple spurts where it looked like maybe I broke out, but I never had that feeling like I did a couple years ago. I’ve been searching and searching. … It’s tough when you’ve missed as much time as I did and you come back and expect to come back and be the same guy and it can take some time.”
Austin Hays put the Orioles ahead 3-2 in the eighth with an RBI double off Darren O’Day. Mullins scored from first as center fielder Aaron Hicks had trouble getting the ball out of his glove.
Pinch-hitter Mike Ford walked against César Valdez leading off the ninth and moved to second on DJ LeMahieu’s walk. Gleyber Torres fouled off a pair of changeups, then drove another to left-center for a two-out ground-rule double to tie it. LeMahieu was stranded at third when Gio Urshela lined out.
Pat Valaika sacrificed off Jonathan Loaisiga (2-1) leading off the 10th, moving automatic runner Ramón Urías to third. Mullins flied to center, and Valaika easily scored.
“I felt like we did so many things well today,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “Really good situational hitting there at the end.”
Tanner Scott (1-2) pitched a scoreless 10th for the Orioles, who have won three of last five and improved to 4-10 at home.
Rougned Odor hit a two-run single in the fifth off Adam Plutko. Baltimore starter Jorge López gave up two runs and four hits in four-plus innings.
Montgomery allowed six hits in five innings.
New York, tied with Baltimore for last in the AL East at 11-14, went 5-3 on a trip that started in Cleveland.
“You go out on a road trip and have a winning record, certainly that’s good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But we also know that a game or two, one thing here or one thing there and all the sudden it’s a special trip, I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. The offense is collectively having better ABs even though we got shut down a little bit today.”
CHAPMAN’S HEAT
New York LHP Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth and has yet to allow a run in eight innings. Chapman has struck out 20 of 29 batters.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Boone said 1B Luke Voit was expected to face pitching Thursday for the first time since left knee surgery on March 29. … RHP Luis Severino (elbow surgery) was scheduled to throw a 35-pitch session Thursday. ... RF Aaron Judge (lower body soreness) missed his second straight start and struck out on three pitches as a pinch hitter against Paul Fry in the eighth inning.
Orioles: INF Freddy Galvis (left adductor soreness) took batting practice and fielded grounders but was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (3-1, 1.71 ERA), who is 5-1 with a 2.23 ERA against Detroit, starts Friday’s homestand opener against Detroit, the first team not from the East to play at Yankee Stadium since 2019.
Orioles: LHP John Means (2-0, 1.50), who allowed one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings against Oakland on Sunday, faces the Athletics again on Friday as Baltimore begins a six-game West Coast trip.
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