The New York Yankees couldn’t capitalize on a golden chance to gain ground in the American League East, falling 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Camden Yards.
Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers held New York hitless until the sixth inning and allowed only one hit over six dominant frames. Austin Wells finally broke through with a single, but left fielder Dylan Beavers twice robbed the Yankees of potential extra bases, first on a leaping grab at the wall against Paul Goldschmidt and then on a diving catch of Aaron Judge’s liner.
Two defensive miscues in the bottom of the sixth proved costly for New York. A misplayed comebacker and an errant flip at first base set up a pair of Baltimore runs that stretched the lead to 3-0. Ryan Mountcastle’s second-inning homer was the only earned run charged to rookie starter Will Warren, who worked 5.1 innings.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. briefly sparked a comeback with a two-run shot in the seventh, joining Alfonso Soriano and Bobby Bonds as the only Yankees with a 30-homer, 30-steal season. But Gunnar Henderson’s RBI double in the bottom half rebuilt Baltimore’s cushion. New York put two on in the eighth but couldn’t score.
The loss kept the Yankees (86-68) three games behind Toronto with eight contests remaining. They still hold the top AL wild-card spot but missed an opportunity to close the gap on the Blue Jays, who lost 20-1 to the Kansas City Royals earlier in the night.
Box Score | AL East Standings | AL Wild Card Standings
Carlos Rodón looks to get New York back on track when he takes the ball on Saturday in game three of this four-game series in Baltimore. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].