Homers kept happening in Orioles' 12-8 loss (updated)

NEW YORK – The lineup was loaded with prospects, the future put on display for fans to admire as if shuffling through a baseball museum, pausing to stare at the most attractive pieces. Except the most valuable also were the newest.

This is what happened in Aberdeen, where the Orioles’ high Single-A affiliate stole the major league team’s thunder on a rainy night with catcher Adley Rutschman’s first injury rehab game.

The Orioles stepped into the third series of their road trip and were flattened early by Luis Severino, who retired the first 14 batters and didn’t allow a hit until Jorge Mateo singled in the sixth inning in the Yankees’ wild 12-8 win in the Bronx.

A different vibe entirely, though entertaining in their own way.

A familiar comeback attempt, with the Orioles again falling behind by six runs before fighting back. Twice. But unlike Sunday’s game in Anaheim, they couldn’t get even.

It got better, then worse, then better, then worse again. Gleyber Torre’s bases-loaded triple off Paul Fry contributed to a four-run seventh and a 10-4 lead, but Trey Mancini answered with an RBI single in the eighth and Austin Hays greeted Jonathan Loáisiga with a three-run homer.

Anthony Rizzo produced his first career three-homer game and finished with six RBIs, Joey Gallo had a solo shot, and the Orioles fell to 6-11 overall and 3-5 on the trip.

“I give our guys a lot of credit for staying in there," said manager Brandon Hyde. "We were down 6-0 and then 10-4 and took good at-bats. Severino was really good tonight and we had a tough time there early in the game, and he didn’t give up a hit for a while, but we gave up some runs tonight but we did battle back. Happy with the at-bats we put together in the second half of the game.”

Rizzo’s first two home runs came against Jordan Lyles. He sneaked a fly ball inside the right field foul pole in the eighth immediately after Aaron Judge’s homer off Alexander Wells.

Anthony Santander extended his on-base streak to 18 games in a row with a three-run homer in the sixth inning.

“We’ve been really united this entire time, staying locked in throughout the game, not giving up,” Santander said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

Hays, who also homered Sunday, drew a two-out walk in the fifth to break up Severino’s bid for a perfect game. Ramón Urías lined a 95 mph fastball up the middle on the next pitch, the 61^st from Severino, and DJ LeMahieu made a diving backhand catch to keep the no-hitter alive.

Robinson Chirinos led off the sixth with a popup and Mateo lined a single into left field, the ball looping over the glove of leaping shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Mateo clapped his hands as he ran to first base. Yankees fans applauded Severino.

Cedric Mullins walked and Santander homered to left field to reduce the lead to 6-3.

On Sunday, Mancini hit the three-run homer that cut the deficit in half.  

Severino received a standing ovation after Rougned Odor’s leadoff double in the seventh brought manager Aaron Boone out of the dugout. Odor scored with one out on Urías’ single off Clay Holmes, but Kiner-Falefa made a diving stop and flip to second base to rob Mateo and end the inning.

“I thought his pitch mix was really good," Hyde said of Severino. "We haven’t seen him in a while and he’s got great stuff, and he was on tonight.”

“He had great command of his pitches tonight,” Santander said. “Obviously, attacking that outside part of the zone, especially against lefties like myself. He was doing a really god job of that.”

Bryan Baker retired the first four batters he faced, but he allowed back-to-back singles to open the seventh and Fry couldn’t slow the Yankees. Rizzo walked to load the bases, Giancarlo Stanton delivered an RBI single, Donaldson struck out and Torres found the gap in left-center for a 10-4 lead.

It got weird again before the Yankees secured the win.

Lyles retired the Yankees in order in the first inning on only eight pitches, and the lone baserunner in the 14-pitch second came on Odor’s throwing error that allowed Josh Donaldson to reach with one out. But Lyles threw 35 pitches in the third and was burned by Rizzo’s towering fly ball to right that eluded Santander’s leaping attempt for a three-run shot.

A fly ball out in most ballparks at 346 feet.

Gallo’s homer in the fourth was more legit, a changeup driven 426 feet to left-center field for a 4-0 lead. And Rizzo collected his 20^th career multi-homer game with a two-run shot in the fifth.

“He’s a difficult out every night,” Hyde said. “Riz is tough because he's right on top of the plate, he’s got huge power, he can hit the ball to all fields, he’s smart. Tonight he took advantage of the three pull-side homers here. Some nights you’ve got to tip your hat and he had a big night.”

While the Orioles were struggling to get a ball out of the infield against Severino, Rutschman lined out to left field in his first 2022 at-bat, doubled to right and walked with the count full. He caught five innings.

Coby Mayo homered twice and reached on an infield hit to score Rutschman.

Colton Cowser, last year’s first-round draft pick, singled twice. Connor Norby, chosen in the second round, singled in the sixth inning. John Rhodes, a third-rounder, had a double and single. Billy Cook, chosen in the 10^th round, homered, tripled and walked. César Prieto, handed a $650,000 bonus during the most recent international signing period, contributed a run-scoring single and RBI grounder.

The future was having fun.

Lyles’ downfall began with Kiner-Falefa’s leadoff single in the third. Kyle Higashioka walked, LeMahieu popped up, Judge struck out and Rizzo reached the first row of seats.

The last two starts for Lyles resulted in only one run allowed in 10 1/3 innings. He didn’t get through the fifth tonight, leaving with two outs after Donaldson doubled.

Lyles was charged with six runs and seven hits, and the three homers were the most he allowed since Aug. 31 with the Rangers.

“Couple of long at-bats,” Lyles said. “A lot of their guys were fouling stuff off. They put up a three-spot in the third with the Rizzo home run, and just overall, long in counts. After the first two efficient innings, they made me battle a lot.”

Wells, recalled this afternoon, retired four batters and served up Judge’s homer – on the slugger’s 30^th birthday - for an 11-8 lead. Rizzo jumped into the Yankees’ record books with another fly ball that went from harmless to home run.

Asked about the difficulty in pitching here, Lyles paused and asked, “What are you referring to? Are you referring to right field?"

"It’s the same for every pitcher who steps on that mound," he said. "It is what it is. You went somewhere, I’m not going … no. It is what it is. Rizzo is a tough at-bat.”