Yankees hit 5 HRs, rip Orioles 14-2 for 8th straight win
BALTIMORE (AP) — Having deflated the Baltimore Orioles' spirit with an unprecedented show of power, the New York Yankees bid farewell to Camden Yards for 2019 after going 10-0 in a ballpark that simply could not contain their fence-busting lineup.
Gio Urshela and Kyle Higashioka each hit two home runs, and the Yankees' long-ball outburst against Baltimore reached historical proportions Wednesday night in a 14-2 blowout that extended New York's winning streak to eight games.
Urshela had a pair of two-run drives , and Higashioka totaled five RBIs with his two shots. It was the first career multihomer game for both players.
The Yankees have 11 players with multihomer games against Baltimore this season, breaking the record of 10 set by San Francisco against the Dodgers in 1958.
"We've had a lot of guys coming through for us here," manager Aaron Boone said.
Cameron Maybin also went deep for the Yankees, who tied a major league record with 16 home runs in a three-game series. New York has hit 52 homers against the Orioles this season, breaking its own major league mark of 48 against the Kansas City Athletics in 1956.
"We have guys up and down the lineup who can hit the ball, so it is no surprise to see what we did," Higashioka said. "It was nice to be a part of it."
All these numbers are bound to increase next week, when the teams meet again for a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.
The sensation that comes with being dominated in a lopsided three-game series reached a melting point for the last-place Orioles in the middle of the fifth inning. After manager Brandon Hyde leaned over and said something to Chris Davis, the first baseman lurched in Hyde's direction and had to be restrained by teammate Mark Trumbo and hitting coach Don Long.
"It was just a disagreement in the dugout. What was said, what we talked about, I'm not going to get into," Hyde said. "Frustration boils over a little bit when we're not playing our best baseball the last couple games. Unfortunately, I'm embarrassed that it was caught on camera and people had to see it, but sometimes those things happen."
Davis is batting .182 while in the middle of a seven-year, $161 million contract. He struck out for the 111th time in the third inning and was replaced by a pinch hitter in the fifth.
Davis did not make himself available in the clubhouse, but Trumbo said: "There was a little bit of a disagreement. I think this game was particularly tough and almost nothing went our way so I think everybody was pretty frustrated."
James Paxton (7-6) allowed one run (a homer by Trey Mancini) and struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings to help the Yankees roll to their 15th straight victory at Camden Yards and 12th in a row overall against the Orioles.
New York hit an impressive 43 home runs in Baltimore this season, a single-season record for most by a visiting team in a ballpark. To put that in perspective, the Orioles totaled 44 runs in those 10 games.
The Orioles are in rebuilding mode and own a miserable 38-76 record, but that didn't make the 10-game season sweep any less satisfying for Boone.
"It's really great and really hard to do," he said. "It is a sign at how good we're playing right now.".
Higashioka's three-run drive off John Means (8-7) in the fourth inning kick-started the New York offense, and by the sixth it was 11-1.
"This team is really good at taking advantage of when pitchers make mistakes, and do some damage," Higashioka said.
The Orioles allowed 32 runs over the three-game set.
ROSTER MOVES
The Yankees recalled RHP Chance Adams from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre after optioning LHP Stephon Tarpley to the same club Tuesday night. ... The Orioles optioned RHP David Hess to Triple-A Norfolk after the game. Hess is 1-10 with a 7.44 ERA and has allowed 28 HRs.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: INF Gleyber Torres, who's been bothered by a core issue, underwent a series of tests Wednesday in New York. The results were positive enough to keep him off the injured list. "Everything checked out OK," Boone said. ... OF Giancarlo Stanton (right knee sprain) is participating in some baseball activities and could grab a bat next week. ... RHP Luis Severino, who's been sidelined all season with rotator cuff inflammation, hopes to have a bullpen workout this weekend. ... C Gary Sánchez (groin) went 1 for 3 in a rehab assignment with Scranton.
Orioles: OF DJ Stewart was placed on the 7-day concussion list after getting plunked on the head by a fly ball on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Domingo Germán (14-2, 3.98 ERA) helps New York open a four-game road series against another struggling AL East club, the Toronto Blue Jays, on Thursday.
Orioles: Following a day off Thursday, Baltimore faces another first-place team, the Houston Astros. Dylan Bundy (5-11, 5.15) will start the opener of the three-game series.
