Torres (13 homers vs Os) lifts Yanks to doubleheader sweep
NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres walked to the plate in the eighth inning with runners on first and second, two outs and the Yankees ahead by five runs.
Baltimore called for an intentional walk, and who could blame the Orioles?
Torres hit three of New York's seven home runs in an 8-5, 11-8 doubleheader sweep Monday, including three-run drives in the fifth and sixth innings of the night game. Torres has 13 of New York's record 59 long balls against Baltimore this season, a big reason the Yankees have 14 consecutive wins versus the Orioles.
"I take all the opportunities they give and then just do damage," Torres said.
Gio Urshela had six hits in the twinbill, including a 461-foot homer in the opener, and raised his average to .332 with 18 homers and 63 RBIs.
AL East-leading New York has five doubleheader sweeps to go along with one split. The Yankees improved to 15-2 against Baltimore with two games left, winning 12 of their past 14 overall and moving a season-high 38 games over .500 at 79-41.
Torres set a big league record with his fifth multihomer game against a team in a season, breaking a tie with Ralph Kiner (1947), Gus Zernial (1951) and Roy Sievers (1955). His 26 homers are two more than his total as a rookie last year, and the 13 against Baltimore matched Roger Maris in 1961 against Cleveland for the second-most against one team in a season for the Yankees, one behind Lou Gehrig's total in 1936 versus Cleveland.
"I just kind of had enough," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of the walk, which was followed by Brett Gardner's groundout. "We're making him look like a first-ballot Hall of Famer."
Didi Gregorius hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the day game and had four RBIs. Urshela, Torres and Cameron Maybin added solo shots, all off Gabriel Ynoa (1-7).
Gardner hit a three-run triple off Ty Blach (0-1) in the opening inning of the night game, Mike Ford had a solo home run and Torres homered off Evan Phillips and Tom Eshelman to make it 11-3.
James Paxton (8-6) started the opener and won a third straight start for the first time since his streak of seven for Seattle from 2017. The injury-decimated Yankees brought in some fresh arms in the night game, when 27-year-old left-hander Joe Mantiply (1-0) got his first big league win in his Yankees debut.
Purchased from Cincinnati on Friday for $1, Mantiply relieved with one out in the second and allowed three runs over three innings in his return to the major leagues from Tommy John surgery in March 2018. Mantiply's only previous appearances were five relief outings for Detroit in September 2016, and he wondered whether he would make it back.
"There were definitely those thoughts," he admitted.
He was followed by 28-year-old righty Brady Lail , who pitched 2 2/3 innings in his big league debut after eight seasons in the minors.
"When I got on the mound, I basically told myself not to look up because the stands went so high," Lail said.
Lail gave up Hanser Alberto's three-run homer. His parents surprised him by taking a red-eye from South Jordan, Utah, and they sat in the seats with Lail's fiancee Katelyn Sharp and 10-month-old daughter Olivia.
"Didn't know they were coming to the game until I showed up to the field," he said.
Baltimore has allowed an AL-record 248 homers, 10 from the season mark Cincinnati set in 2016.
New York's team store has banners and T-shirts (at $29.99 each) heralding "Savages in the Box," manager Aaron Boone's infamous comment on his batters during his July 18 ejection, and its batters certainly have been barbarians against Baltimore with 11 more homers than the previous mark against a single team.
"Unfortunately, they really don't miss any mistakes," Ynoa said through a translator.
GIO
Urshela was purchased by the Yankees from Toronto on Aug. 4 last year for $1 — that's not a typo — and entered the season with eight homers and 39 RBIs over 167 games with Cleveland and Toronto.
"I didn't know that I had that power," he said.
DIDI
Gregorius has 35 RBIs in 47 games since Tommy John surgery. He rolled over his left wrist going for a grounder on July 31, straining the area between his left ring finger and pinkie.
"Every time I take a swing, I do adjust the batting glove to make sure that everything stays in tight," he said. "Ain't much I can change about it. Pain tolerance, basically."
STARTERS
Paxton (8-6) allowed three runs in six innings, including Renato Núñez's sacrifice fly in the first. He has a 10.71 ERA in the opening inning and a 2.58 ERA over the rest of his outings.
CLOSERS
Aroldis Chapman (32) and Adam Ottavino (two) got saves.
QUICK TRIP
Mantiply and Lail were optioned back to Triple-A.
O'S OFFENSE
Trey Mancini homered in each game, and Anthony Santander went deep in the opener.
BIG NEWS
Maybin learned his mother's breast cancer was in remission.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: 1B Luke Voit (core injury) sprinted and plans to hit off a tee Tuesday. Voit said offseason surgery was a possibility. ... LHP CC Sabathia (inflamed right knee) is to throw a second bullpen Tuesday and is on pace to start against Cleveland this weekend. ... RHP Dellin Betances (lat) threw off a mound for the first time since June 5. He plans another bullpen for Thursday. ... RHP Luis Severino (lat) threw his second bullpen, three days after his first since spring training. He is to throw another bullpen Thursday, then may face batters on Sunday. ... OF Aaron Hicks (strained right flexor) was examined and told not to start throwing until Aug. 26.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Domingo Germán (15-2), tied for the big league lead in wins, is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Baltimore LHP John Means (8-7).
