The Yankees erased a three-run deficit but allowed a late run to fall to the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways…
– The Yankees offense got off to a sleepy start against Orioles starter Chris Ellis, who was making just his third career start in the majors. He surrendered a walk and a wild pitch in the second inning, but he held the Yankees hitless through his first four innings while striking out a pair.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Ellis had not pitched beyond 4.2 innings in his career, yet he managed to hold the Yankees hitless through five. The Yankees pushed his pitch count up to 92, and Ellis was done after five. He walked three and struck out two without a hit.
– With Ellis out of the game, Tanner Scott pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning with a pair of strikeouts to keep the no-hitter alive.
– Jordan Montgomery got through his first three innings without allowing a run, but the Orioles got to him in the fourth. After allowing a Trey Mancini double and a Pedro Severino double, Montgomery walked Jorge Mateo and uncorked a wild pitch in the process, scoring Mancini to put the Orioles up 1-0.
The fifth inning brought more trouble for Montgomery. After a pair of singles to lead off the inning, a two-out walk to Mancini loaded the bases, and at that point, Aaron Boone had seen enough. Clay Holmes was brought in to try to get out of the jam, and he made quick work of Ramon Urias on a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning.
Montgomery allowed just one run, but went just 4.2 innings while giving up six hits. He struck out five and walked one with costly wild pitch mixed in.
– Wandy Peralta had a disastrous appearance in the seventh. The lefty allowed four hits, including a pair of double while recording just one out, leaving the game with Baltimore up 3-0 and runners at first and second. Fortunately for the Yankees, Lucas Luetge was able to come in and clean things up without allowing another run.
– With Scott still on the mound in the seventh, the Yankees put two runners on without a hit, as Anthony Rizzo reached on an error and Brett Gardner walked. Marcos Diplan was brought in from the pen, as pinch-hitter Gary Sanchez flew out to center to put runners on the corners with one out. Pinch-hitter Gleyber Torres then finally broke up the no-no with an RBI single off the glove of Jahmai Jones, making it a 3-1 game as Rizzo scored. Luke Voit then grounded into a double play to end the inning, but the Yankees were at least able to get on the board.
– The Yankees tied the game quickly in the bottom of the eighth. After DJ LeMahieu singled to lead things off, Joey Gallo – who has been scuffling at the plate – clubbed a two-run shot over the wall in right to knot the game 3-3.
– With the game tied in the ninth, Boone went with Aroldis Chapman. He struck out Ryan Mountcastle on a splitter, but Sanchez couldn’t corral it, resulting in a wild pitch and a man on. Austin Hays then singled to put two men on. A Mancini walk then loaded the bases with nobody out, and Severino eventually brought in the go-ahead run on a sac fly to left.
The Bombers went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. The Yankees had just three hits all game long.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees will wrap up their series with the Orioles on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Corey Kluber gets the start and will go up against Keegan Akin for the O’s.