BALTIMORE (AP) - Playing in a small ballpark against a struggling pitching staff, the New York Yankees went with their most obvious strength to pound out another victory.
Gleyber Torres hit two of New York’s five home runs, and the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 Wednesday night to secure their sixth straight series win.
New York has homered 33 times in 11 games against Baltimore this season, including 10 by Torres and nine by Gary Sanchez. The Yankees are 6-0 at Camden Yards with an astounding 25 home runs.
“We’re going to hit the ball out of the ballpark,” manager Aaron Boone said. “There’s going to be games where we take advantage of some mistakes, and it’s one of the ways we score runs. On a given night, when guys are locked in, that’s something we’re certainly capable of.”
Torres homered leading off the third and fifth innings to help New York take a 7-2 lead. He has four multihomer games this season - all against Baltimore.
“The ballpark is for hitters,” he said.
Torres is the first player in major league history to hit 10 of his first 12 home runs in a season against the same team.
“Anytime you have that much success in a short stretch against someone, you just kind of shake your head at it a little bit,” Boone said. “It’s unusual and rare.”
Sanchez , DJ LeMahieu and Thairo Estrada also connected for the Yankees, who lead the series 9-2 and will seek to complete a four-game sweep Thursday afternoon.
Baltimore has lost five in a row to sink to 15-34, the worst record in the majors.
CC Sabathia (3-1) allowed five runs and six hits, including two home runs, in five innings. Although his ERA climbed from 2.97 to 3.48, the lefty took advantage of New York’s ample offensive display to win at Camden Yards for the first time in seven starts since June 2016.
Sabathia will likely miss his next start as he receives a cortisone shot and other medical attention for knee inflammation. Boone says the six-time All-Star could end up on the IL.
“It’s like a shooting pain goes through every time that I land,” Sabathia said. “So it makes it hard to finish my pitches.”
Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.
The Yankees took charge in the second inning when Estrada and LeMahieu hit two-run homers off Dan Straily (1-4), who gave up two more long balls before being pulled after four ineffective innings.
Asked to explain the success enjoyed by Torres and Sanchez, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said, “There’s definitely a pitching plan. It’s definitely not to throw the ball in the middle part of the plate. We just continue to do it. When you don’t do it, you get them out.”
Torres hit Gabriel Ynoa’s second pitch over the right field wall, the 105th home run yielded by Baltimore pitchers in 49 games. One night earlier, the Orioles broke the record held by the 2000 Kansas City Royals for quickest to allow 100 home runs (57 games).
Richie Martin hit his first big league homer and Renato Núñez added a two-run shot in the Baltimore fifth to make it 7-5.
PATIENCE REQUIRED
Orioles first-year general manager Mike Elias has no choice but to be patient while the team struggles to be competitive at the outset of a major rebuilding project.
“There have been good things this year so far. The win-loss record is not one of those good things,” Elias said Wednesday. “If we’re able to add a couple of guys and have them stick and be pieces here, that would make this year a huge success. But look, we’ve got a big effort on our hands. This is the beginning of it. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to push harder to get better, but it’s where we’re at right now.”
ADDING AN OUTFIELDER
The Orioles bolstered their outfield defense by acquiring Keon Broxton from the New York Mets on Wednesday for $500,000 in 2019-20 international signing bonus pool allotment.
“He has speed, excellent center field ability, he’s got some raw power,” Elias said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton took a step back in his return from arm injuries and won’t play in any rehabilitation games for seven to 10 days because of left calf tightness. … SS Didi Gregorius (elbow) returned to the lineup in Tampa as a designated hitter in extended spring training after sitting out Tuesday due to dehydration suffered in Monday game. … SS Troy Tulowitzki (calf), sidelined since April 3, could return to the field in some kind of game setting by this weekend. … RHP Luis Severino (shoulder), who’s yet to play this season, will likely start throwing soon.
Orioles: RHP Alex Cobb was (lumbar strain) was placed on the 60-day IL, which means he will likely sidelined until July.
UP NEXT
Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka (3-3, 3.09 ERA) returns to the mound after getting hit in the right shin by a line drive Saturday against Tampa Bay.
Orioles: Dylan Bundy (2-5, 4.66) faces the Yankees for the third time this season. The right-hander gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings in each of his first two outings vs NY.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Please read our comment policy before commenting.