BALTIMORE- What happened? After an awful defeat, the Orioles bounced back and beat the New York Yankees, winning just their second series of the season.
Scoring runs early and getting crucial outs from the bullpen late in the game, the Orioles hung on for a 5-4 win before 22,381 at Camden Yards on Wednesday night. It came one night after a 15-3 drubbing but coupled with Monday night’s 4-3 win, which also was saved by Félix Bautista, it enabled the Orioles to close out April on a high note.
The Orioles reach the 30-game mark with a disappointing 12-18 record, but some satisfaction that they were able to win a series against the American League East leaders.
“Good teams have bad months,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re really focused on just one game at a time, one series at a time, trying to win as many series as possible.”
Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run against Cade Povich in the first. In the bottom of the second, the Orioles scored four runs to take a 4-2 lead. Ryan Mountcastle broke an 0-for-18 with a two-run home run.
“He needed that one. It’s been rough for him,” Hyde said. “There’s a lot of support around him right now. For him to get one over the fence, to take a good swing, he’s been really frustrated. We know that Mounty can hit. That’s one thing Mounty can do. One, he can defend, and he can hit.”
Ramón Urías homered, and Adley Rutschman’s RBI single scored Gunnar Henderson, who singled and stole second.
Povich didn’t make it out of the fifth. Paul Goldschmidt hit a one-out homer, and after Trent Grisham struck out, Seranthony Domínguez allowed a single to Aaron Judge, who was picked off to end the inning.
The Orioles managed to score a fifth run in the bottom of the fifth when Tim Hill, who relieved starter Carlos Carrasco, walked Rutschman and Ryan O’Hearn. Ramón Laureano reached on an error. Rutschman scored on Jackson Holliday’s bouncer to second.
Keegan Akin allowed two hits and struck out three in a scoreless sixth. He was removed for Yennier Cano after Oswaldo Peraza walked to begin the seventh. Judge’s single scored Peraza, and after Gregory Soto’s errant pickoff throw, Ben Rice flied out to Kjerstad for the third out.
Bryan Baker walked Anthony Volpe leading off the eighth and then retired his next three batters. After he struck out Jasson Domínguez, he pounded his chest.
“With the day off tomorrow, if it went to extras, I was going to be in trouble,” Hyde said. “I was trying to match up and they’re really difficult.”
Bautista got three outs in the ninth for his fifth save, and was the difference-maker in the two one-run victories.
How good did Bautista look? Bautista recorded three-batter saves in the two wins over the Yankees.
“He is back to being Félix,” Hyde said. “That is a really tough assignment for whoever’s going to face him in the ninth inning. I thought his stuff was exploding tonight. That was the best fastball we’ve seen.
“The split, one of the splits he threw to Grisham was like the one he threw to Judge the other night, where it falls off the table. His slider has improved, too, from where it was a couple of years ago. You take your chances with that guy.”
Bautista is pleased with where he is after the two saves against the Yankees. His fastball topped 99 on Wednesday night.
“I just go out there and try to do my job, you know?” he said through a team translator. “That’s my job at the end of the day. I’m just focused on going out there and attacking hitters as quickly as possible and retiring them as quickly as possible. I take a lot of pride in that.”
What happened in the fourth inning? Kjerstad slid under New York second baseman Pablo Reyes, who landed on his head during his successful steal of second. Kjerstad, who missed much of the second half of last season after the Yankees’ Clay Holmes hit him on the batting helmet, objected, and the benches and bullpens briefly cleared.
“We got tangled up there, emotions from both sides kind of went up,” Kjerstad said. “Didn’t think it was too much.”
Reyes wasn’t terribly annoyed after the dustup.
“A couple words there that I felt like disrespected me in the heat of the moment then that, later on, he kind of toned down a little bit,” he said through a translator.
Kjerstad reached on a single, which broke an 0-for-20 streak.
How did Povich look? Povich allowed three runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings, walked three and struck out two.
“That was deflating there. Cade just made a really bad pitch on Judge [hanging curveball], and our guys responded,” Hyde said. “Hopefully, that’s a steppingstone for us. Normally, when our starters give us a chance, we play a pretty good game.”
Povich thinks the Orioles are about to improve.
“We know we’re a good team,” he said. “It’s going to come. It’s a crappy month. The month’s over. We have [an] offday tomorrow. Ready to turn it around for this next month. Winning a series over a good team like that is great. It just shows the direction we’re all going.”
What does it mean? The Orioles have won only two series, against Cleveland and the Yankees. They’ll need to win many more and win some on the road.
What’s the word? “There’s been a lot of adversity. It hasn’t been smooth at all. It’s been a tough month, and we have a lot of work to do, rotation-wise. We have a lot of work to do offensively.”-Hyde on the Orioles’ April
What’s the stat of the day? Bautista recorded the final out on a 99.2 mph sinker to Grisham. Two pitches earlier, he threw his fastest pitch of the season, 99.3.
“I know, as time goes on, that’ll just continue to happen naturally,” Bautista said. “So, wasn’t trying to do anything differently. I was just letting things play out as they did. And trying to do my job.”
What’s going on in the minor leagues? Despite five home runs, including two from Coby Mayo, Triple-A Norfolk lost to Charlotte, 9-8. Jordyn Adams, Samuel Basallo and TT Bowens also homered.
Trace Bright allowed five runs on four hits in five innings as Double-A Chesapeake lost to Hartford, 6-3.
High-A Aberdeen lost to Bowling Green, 2-1. Aberdeen right-hander Teddy Sharkey is on the injured list.
First baseman Cole Urman homered and drove in two runs in Single-A Delmarva’s 8-5 loss to Fayetteville. The Shorebirds have lost 17 of 22.
What’s next? After Thursday’s offday, the Orioles begin a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. Dean Kremer (2-4, 7.04) will start for the Orioles. Kansas City hasn’t named its starter.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich,@BaltimoreBaseball.com