The Baltimore Orioles began a three-game set in the Bronx with a 5-3 win over the AL East leading New York Yankees (43-42) on Friday night. The win was the team’s second consecutive over a division foe and it allowed them to cross the threshold of single-digit (9) games below .500.
Entering the game, tied at three, in the seventh inning, Scott Blewett (3-0) gave the Orioles a solid effort and kept the Bronx Bombers in check. Facing the minimum nuber of batters, Blewett induced two groundouts, an infield popout and struck out two. The only ball to leave the infield was a flyout to left by Austin Wells to open the Yankees’ eighth.
Blewett was the third bullpen arm to throw in relief of starter Tomoyuki Sugano who struggled through 3.2 innings, needing 89 pitches (56 strikes) in doing so. Sugano allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, one, an Aaron Judge homerun leading off the third, walked 3 and struck out 4. He faced 21 batters and ironically was removed from the mound after issuing an intentional walk to Judge.
Sugano watched his counterpart Max Fried uncharacteristically allow 2 runs on 2 hits and hit two batters in the first inning. The difference being that Fried, although allowing a total of 3 runs, lasted 6.0 innings and left with the game in a 3-3 tie. The crucial hit against Fried was a two-RBI single by former Yankee All-Star Gary Sanchez.
Sanchez joined Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo in producing a multi-hit game. It was Mayo’s RBI-single in the sixth that tied the game.
The Orioles took the lead in the eighth with Ramon Urias‘ leadoff homerun to right field. Gunnar Henderson provided the final cushion with his two-out, pinch-hit RBI single to left field.
As the bridge between Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano, Blewett turned the game over to Felix Bautista who struck out two in securing his 16th save of 2025.
2025 Record: 33-42
Next Game: Sat. 6/21 @ 1:05 pm vs. Yankees in New York