BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles ended their 19-game losing streak against the New York Yankees, using a strong offensive performance by rookie Ryan Mountcastle to earn a 6-3 victory Friday night for a doubleheader split.
In the opener, Miguel Andújar singled in the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning and Clint Frazier added an RBI single to give New York a 6-5 win. Gary , and Brett Gardner , for the Yankees.
Mountcastle hit a two-run homer off 21-year-old Deivi García in second inning of the nightcap and sparked a four-run fifth inning with an RBI single off Clarke Schmidt, who was making his major league debut. Rio Ruiz followed with a run-scoring single and Pat Valaika capped the uprising with a two-run double.
That helped Baltimore secure its first win over New York since March 31, 2019. It also snapped the Yankees' 18-game winning streak at Camden Yards.
“It's a little fluky," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of New York's dominance. “It was one of those things that was obviously bound to end."
It couldn't end soon enough for the Orioles.
“We’ve had a tough time against them. They’re a tough club," manager Brandon Hyde said. “Game 1 was disappointing because we had opportunities, and we’ve had opportunities against them in the past.”
This was New York's fourth doubleheader in 10 days, so Boone was working with a depleted bullpen. That meant, like it or not, he threw Schmidt into the mix with two on and two outs.
“Not an ideal situation to bring him in, but by need," Boone said. “At least he got one under his belt."
García (0-1) allowed four runs and five hits with six strikeouts in his second big league appearance. He had excelled in his debut.
He was outdone by Orioles starter Jorge López (1-0), who gave up three runs — none earned — over five innings.
“I thought he threw the ball great. He really shouldn’t haven’t given up any runs," Hyde said. “We didn’t help him out."
In the opener, Andújar was recalled before the game, entered as a pinch runner in the seventh and stayed in at third base. His single to right against Travis Lakins Sr. (2-2) made it 5-4, and Frazier followed with an RBI single.
Jonathan Holder (2-0) worked the eighth and Chad Green got three outs for his first save. Holder ran for himself after New York burned the designated hitter and scored on Andújar's single.
“Him getting the W and scoring the winning run is pretty cool," Yankees starter Michael King said.
Facing the Orioles probably couldn't have come at a better time for the Yankees, who had lost three of four and 10 of 14. The latter slide followed a 16-6 start and dropped New York out of first place in the AL East.
“It's not easy for us right now but I'm proud of the guys," Boone said. “It feels really good to grab the first one."
That sentiment faded in the fifth inning of the nightcap.
STREAK OVER
Another impressive New York streak came to an end. The Yankees homered in 22 straight games against Baltimore before being contained in the nightcap, leaving them one short game of matching the mark by a team against a single opponent.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: The news keeps getting worse for the limping Yankees, who placed INF Gio Urshela (right elbow bone spur) and RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (medical condition) on the 10-day injured list. Boone said Loaisiga's malady has nothing to do with COVID-19 and is “not a baseball thing." ... RF Aaron Judge (strained right calf) “is starting to get back to baseball activity stuff," said Boone, who added, “I am confident that he'll be back before the postseason." ... INF Gleyber Torres (left hamstring) is poised to come off the IL on Sunday, Boone said.
Orioles: Alex Cobb was scratched from starting the first game and placed on the injured list. “We’re just following protocol and he’s unavailable today. Hope he’s back soon," Hyde said. ... OF Anthony Santander hurt his oblique late in Game 1 and did not play in the nightcap.
EMOTIONAL MOMENT
Yankees catcher Erik Kratz became very emotional when asked about his longtime reputation for working closely with young Hispanic pitchers.
“I love seeing what they can do. Sometimes some people forget where they come from, some people forget that they want it just as badly, and there's people at home that want it just as badly for them," the 40-year-old Kratz said. “They're not around their family. Being older, hopefully I can be somebody that can step in."
Kratz was pushing back tears as he spoke about trying to be an understanding, sympathetic mentor to his Hispanic teammates, including Garcia. He summed up his answer by saying, “Now I get to cry on Zooms because I've got kids too and I hope somebody would treat my kids that way."
Kratz started the nightcap and drove in two runs to give New York a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
NEXT UP
New York's Gerrit Cole (4-2, 3.91 ERA) — who's lost his last two starts — faces Orioles rookie Keegan Akin (0-0, 3.52) on Saturday night.
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