In the first of a three-game series in Baltimore, the Yankees lost 7-6 to the Orioles in their home opener on Friday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways…
– After a 1-2-3 first inning to start his day, Clarke Schmidt got tagged for two runs in the second inning. The first run came on an RBI single off the bat of Adam Frazier. Then, with one out and runners on first and third, Schmidt induced a tailor-made double play ball to second base but Gleyber Torres booted it which allowed another run to score.
Down 2-0 and in a heap of trouble, Schmidt did well to escape the inning without further damage. But after the Yankees’ bats went quietly in the top of the third inning, Schmidt found himself in hot water once again in the bottom half of the frame.
– A leadoff walk to Adley Rutschman followed by an Anthony Santander double put runners on second and third and nobody out. Ryan Mountcastle brought home Baltimore’s third run of the game with a sacrifice fly before Gunnar Henderson doubled to make it 4-0.
Schmidt wouldn’t go much further than that, going just 3.1 innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits, three walks and striking out three. He now owns a 9.45 ERA to begin the season.
– In the fourth inning, New York got three of those runs back on one swing of the bat. With two outs, Oswaldo Cabrera singled, Jose Trevino walked and Franchy Cordero hit a three-run homer, his first with the Yankees, to get the Bronx Bombers on the board in a flash.
– The Yanks took the lead in the sixth inning thanks to Cabrera’s two-run double that made it 5-4, but squandered a chance to extend their cushion after Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Anthony Volpe failed to drive in Cabrera from third base.
– That would cost them during the next half inning. Facing Ron Marinaccio with two outs, Rutschman saw eight pitches and won the battle, driving in Jorge Mateo from third base to tie the game.
– The Orioles re-took the lead in the seventh inning after Yankees reliever Jimmy Cordero struggled with his command. Coming in for Marinaccio who allowed a leadoff walk to Mountcastle followed by a steal. Cordero threw a wild pitch that allowed Mountcastle to move up to third base. Ramon Urias then doubled him home and after a groundout by Frazier put Urias at third base with two outs, Cordero uncorked another wild pitch that allowed Urias to score.
– New York made it interesting in the eighth inning, scoring a run and getting within one. A double play by Trevino and a strikeout by IKF put an end to the inning, though, as the Yankees wasted another golden opportunity to tie or take the lead.
– With two outs in the ninth, Aaron Judge walked and reached third base but Anthony Rizzo flied out to end the game. Judge, who normally loves hitting at Camden Yards, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts but made a run-saving catch out in center field.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees and Orioles continue their three-game series in Baltimore on Saturday, April 8 at 7:05 p.m.
A couple of lefties take the mound as Nestor Cortes Jr. faces off against Cole Irvin.
