BALTIMORE (AP) - The Baltimore Orioles remain the major leagues’ lone unbeaten team, and their latest victory - surprise! - was accomplished without a home run. Instead, believe it or not, they stole a base to set up this win.
Hyun Soo Kim hit a tiebreaking RBI single off Dellin Betances in the seventh inning after a rare swipe by slugger Mark Trumbo, and the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 5-4 Saturday.
One day after overcoming four-run deficit, the Orioles came back from being down 4-1 and improved this season to 4-0.
“There are 158 games left,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I’d rather win the first four than lose the first four but … we’ll take each challenge as it comes.”
The Orioles trailed 4-3 in the seventh when Chris Davis doubled with one out. Trumbo followed with an RBI single, and the majors’ defending home run champ promptly stole second off Betances (0-1), against whom runners were 21 for 21 last year in attempted steals. Kim then blooped his hit .
“I was just trying to put the ball in play, trying to make good contact,” said Kim, who went 3 for 4.
It was the 23rd career stolen base for Trumbo in 553 games. It was also the second steal of the day for power-laden Baltimore, which had only 19 all last year.
“Trum doesn’t see a lot of steal signals, so there’s some trust on both of our parts,” Showalter said. “I don’t know what was more impressive, him getting the sign to steal second or (Kim’s) base hit off the breaking ball.”
Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez left in the fifth after straining his right biceps during his follow-through on a swing. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list after the game.
“When you see a guy come out of the game like that, holding it like that, you’re really concerned,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Baltimore is assured of a 10th straight series win against New York at Camden Yards, a streak that began after the 2013 season.
Mychal Givens (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh and Zach Britton got his third save, with Chris Carter’s bid for a go-ahead, two-run homer being caught on the warning track for the final out. The Yankees have lost four of five.
New York’s Matt Holliday got his 2,000th career hit, an opposite-field single to right in the first inning.
Knowing he was on the cusp of the milestone, Holliday said before the game: “It’s something to be pretty proud of. If you had told me as a kid that I would get 2,000 major league hits, I’d have been pretty thrilled with that idea.”
Seeking to rebound from a dismal performance on opening day, Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. He walked four and hit two batters, still struggling after giving up a career-high seven earned runs in an abbreviated start against Tampa Bay.
Kevin Gausman gave up four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings for Baltimore. The right-hander was 3-1 with a 1.10 ERA against New York last season, working at least six innings in each of his six starts.
After a two-run single by Ronald Torreyes put New York up 2-0 in the second inning, the Yankees upped their lead to 4-1 in the fifth. With runners on the corners and two outs, Gausman committed an odd balk - throwing to third baseman Manny Machado, who wasn’t near the runner - before giving up an RBI single to Starlin Castro.
In the bottom half, Machado doubled in a run and Trumbo hit a run-scoring grounder.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Although an X-ray on Greg Bird’s bruised right foot was negative, Girardi said he’d probably keep the first baseman out of the lineup for a few days. The injury originally occurred in spring training, and Bird aggravated it on Friday night. Bird is 1 for 16 this season. … SS Didi Gregorious (strained right shoulder) is taking light swings and throwing. Though he’s still several weeks away from returning, Gregorious “is progressing well” according to Girardi.
Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (shoulder bursitis) threw live batting practice in Florida. He will next throw Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches in the series finale Sunday, seeking to build upon his effective five-inning stint Tuesday at Tampa Bay.
Orioles: LHP Wade Miley comes off the disabled list to make his season debut. He’s been sidelined with an upper respiratory infection.
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