BALTIMORE—The first Orioles game against the New York Yankees each season always brings a sense of anticipation. The teams play each other four times this week, and with the Orioles meeting each of their American League East rivals 13 times, each game is always an event.
On a summer-like evening, Grayson Rodriguez pitched a scoreless game into the sixth inning, and Gunnar Henderson provided all the offense the Orioles would need in a 2-0 win over the Yankees before 23,184 at Camden Yards on Monday night.
It was the Orioles’ third shutout of the season and put them in first place ahead of New York (19-11)
Rodriguez (4-1) tied his career high by throwing 101 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. He gave up five hits, walked three and struck out three.
A strange play contributed to his scoreless night. With one out and Giancarlo Stanton on first base in the sixth, Austin Wells appeared to single to right field, but Stanton was out at second when rightfielder Anthony Santander threw to Henderson at second for the force.
Henderson gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead when he led off the first with his 10th home run. He’s tied with Mike Trout for the major league lead and is the youngest player to hit 10 home runs before May 1st.
Yankee starter Clarke Schmidt (2-1) worked 5 2/3 innings and, after Henderson’s home run, he allowed just two more hits — Ryan O’Hearn’s single two batters later, and Jordan Westburg’s one-out single in the second.
In the fifth, he walked Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser and his wild pitch sent them to second and third, but Ramón Urías popped out to first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Henderson flied to Aaron Judge in left.
Henderson was hit in the left forearm in the eighth inning by New York reliever Caleb Ferguson. He moved to second on a single by Adley Rutschman, then tagged up and went to third on an O’Hearn fly ball to Juan Soto. It turned out to be a key baserunning decision when shortstop Anthony Volpe booted Santander’s grounder, allowing Henderson to score.
Westburg, who missed Sunday’s game because of illness, had a fine defensive inning in the seventh behind relief pitcher Cionel Pérez, who was activated from the injured list earlier on Monday. Trent Grisham was on first, and Westburg went to his left and made a nifty pickup of Volpe’s grounder to force Grisham at second. Soto lined a ball off first baseman Ryan Mountcastle’s glove that went directly to Westburg, who threw back to first for the out.
Pérez pitched a scoreless inning. Yennier Cano retired the first four batters he faced before Gleyber Torres singled to lead off the ninth. With Craig Kimbrel sidelined by a back injury, Danny Coulombe retired Oswaldo Cabrera on a long fly to left, Grisham on a fly to center, and Volpe on a grounder to second for his first save.
Rutschman’s eighth-inning single gave him a 10-game hitting streak.