Orioles 9-7 Yankees (September 26, 2024) Match Report

NEW YORK – Gunnar Henderson got three of Baltimore’s 12 hits in the first four innings, and the Orioles again prevented the New York Yankees from clinching the AL East title by holding on for a 9-7 victory on Wednesday night despite another home run by Aaron Judge.

Colton Cowser scored three runs for the playoff-qualified Orioles, who brought in backup starter Marcus Stroman (10-9) early and improved their record against New York to 8-4 with one game remaining in the season series.

Judge hit a home run for the fourth straight game, hitting his 57th home run, leading the major leagues, with four runs in the ninth inning. The three-run home run against Matt Bowman increased Judge’s total to 142 RBIs, also the most in the major leagues, and cut New York’s deficit to 9-7.

Keegan Akin came into the game and retired the next two batters, earning his third career save and his first of the year.

Juan Soto also hit a home run and scored three runs for New York, which could have clinched the AL East with a win over the Orioles on either of the last two nights. Anthony Volpe had an RBI single.

Baltimore moved to within four games of the Yankees in the division standings with four games remaining. Cedric Mullins went 3 for 4 with a walk, three runs scored and two stolen bases.

The Orioles, who had secured at least a wild card in the American League, secured their second consecutive postseason berth on Tuesday night when their 5-3 victory at Yankee Stadium was paired with Minnesota’s loss to Miami nine minutes later.

Baltimore enjoyed a boozy party in the visitors’ clubhouse afterward, but the Yankees seemed a bit hungover on Wednesday.

Stroman came in at short notice for injured left-hander Nestor Cortes and allowed six consecutive singles to start the game – some of them not very effective – so that the Orioles took a 3-0 lead.

Rookie outfielder Jasson Domínguez ran over Cowser’s two-run single, a fly ball that landed in the left field corner. Ryan Mountcastle followed with an RBI single.

Henderson’s two-run single with one out in the fourth inning chased Stroman away in his first start since Sept. 10. He allowed 10 of Baltimore’s 17 hits and was charged with six runs.

Anthony Santander and Cowser each hit back-to-back RBI doubles later in the inning.

Stroman was moved to the bullpen for the final two weeks of the season because the Yankees had six healthy starters before Cortes’ injury. The veteran right-hander threw 64 pitches and got three innings in Seattle on September 17.

With an 8-1 lead, Orioles starter Zach Eflin threw a career-high five walks and was replaced after 4 2/3 innings. Jacob Webb (2-5) retired Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning and went 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

TRAINING ROOM

Orioles: RHP Grayson Rodriguez will miss the postseason due to right latissimus dorsi soreness.

Yankees: Cortes was scheduled to start but was ruled out because of a strained flexor muscle in his throwing arm and was placed on the 15-day injured list. He and the Yankees are hoping he could return at some point in the postseason, but it doesn’t sound likely.

Next

Thursday night will see a clash of Cy Young Award winners when Baltimore RHP Corbin Burnes (15-8, 2.95 ERA) faces Gerrit Cole (7-5, 3.67) to conclude the three-game series.

In his only previous start at Yankee Stadium, Burnes threw eight hitless innings for Milwaukee last September. The right-hander has a 1.08 ERA this month and will try to become the first Orioles pitcher since Chris Tillman in 2016 to win 16 games in a season.

Cole won the last time he played in Oakland in nine innings, allowing one run and two hits and having seven strikeouts.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb