Birds Watcher Postgame: Orioles Defeat Yankees 4-3

The Orioles stave off the sweep, winning in extra-innings against the Yankees

On Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees played the final game of their three-game set in the Bronx, which wound up undecided after 9 innings. The game was the Orioles’ first this season to go into extra innings, which gave them an opportunity to play with the runner-on-second-base rule that returned from 2020.

The Orioles gave the ball to John Means for his second start of the season on Wednesday, following up his 7 innings of shutout, 1-hit ball on Opening Day in Boston. Against New York, Means was able to limit damage and work his way out of jams, giving up just 1 run on 7 hits and a pair of walks. However, playing damage control hurt Means’ pitch count, forcing manager Brandon Hyde to remove Means after 4.2 innings of work.

In relief, Dillon Tate, Tanner Scott, and Paul Fry each posted scoreless innings in their second respective appearances of the season. Tate and Scott followed Means in order, handling the remaining out in the fifth inning and up through the seventh, allowing just a hit each. Fry pitched later on in the eleventh inning, converting his first save opportunity of the season. In 6.1 innings as a group, the Orioles’ bullpen allowed just 1 earned run on Wednesday.

The Yankees out-hit the Orioles by a large margin in this game, collecting 13 hits at home in the Bronx while Baltimore could only manage 4 hits. Regardless, the Orioles made their hits count, including 2 fourth-inning solo home runs from Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander. For Mullins, the home run extended his hitting streak to begin the season to 6 games, or 10 games total if combined with the final 4 games of 2020.

A tenth-inning throwing error by Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres played a significant role in the outcome of this game, as it allowed Pedro Severino to reach base and score Santander as the Orioles’ automatic runner, giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead. Although the Yankees would tie the game up again in the bottom of the inning, the game may have not seen the eleventh inning if not for Torres’ off-line throw.

In the eleventh inning, Chance Sisco came up with a clutch pinch-hit RBI single, scoring Rio Ruiz after a sacrifice bunt by Freddy Galvis moved him over to third base. The win was sealed in the bottom half of the inning by another big-time play from Santander, catching a fly ball to record the second out of the inning before gunning down Gio Urshela at the plate, doubling off the Yankees and giving the Orioles an extra-innings victory.

With their three-game series in the Bronx concluded, the Orioles will travel home to Baltimore and prepare for their home opener on Thursday, welcoming in the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series. Matt Harvey will pitch for the Orioles in the series opener, facing off against former Oriole Eduardo Rodriguez in his season debut. First-pitch is scheduled for 3:05 PM ET.