Orioles fall four games below .500 with 8-2 loss (with quotes)

NEW YORK - The leash on Gabriel Ynoa tonight stretched only into the fifth inning, giving him enough slack to throw 64 pitches. He came out of a tie game at Yankee Stadium following a one-out walk. Miguel Castro got busy again.

Castro also got burned.

Didi Gregorius hit a two-run homer off Castro to put the Yankees in front, and the Orioles continued their freefall with a 8-2 loss before an announced crowd of 40,460.

The Orioles (72-76) have lost eight of nine games, moving four below .500 for the first time since Aug. 22. They're 28-46 on the road, 6-11 against the Yankees and 1-7 in the Bronx. They've given up 89 runs here in eight games.

A Twins victory would leave the Orioles 6 ½ back for the second wild card with 14 remaining.

It was a sloppy performance from the Orioles. Chris Davis and Jonathan Schoop committed errors that led to three unearned runs. Mark Trumbo pulled up on a bases-loaded fly ball from Gary Sánchez in the seventh that let Greg Bird score.

A three-run seventh enabled the Yankees to expand on their 4-2 lead.

Luis Severino held the Orioles to three hits in eight innings. They actually took a 2-1 lead in the second on Welington Castillo's two-run shot.

Ynoa was charged with two earned runs and three total in 4 1/3 innings, his night ending after he walked Aaron Judge. Judge accounted for two of Ynoa's five strikeouts.

Castro replaced Ynoa and Judge stole second base to move into scoring position. Sánchez was retired on a nubber in front of the plate, but Gregorius jumped on an 86 mph slider and gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead.

A dependable and sturdy reliever since joining the Orioles, Castro has been scored upon in his last four outings. He's been charged with six earned runs and seven total in six innings.

Castillo drove an 0-2 pitch from Severino into the right field seats in the second inning to briefly give the Orioles a lead and become their seventh player with at least 20 home runs.

Tim Beckham doesn't count because only nine of his 21 have come with the team.

Castillo joins Schoop, Davis, Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo and Trey Mancini.

This is only the second time in club history that seven players have hit 20 or more home runs. It also happened in 1996 with Brady Anderson, Rafael Palmeiro, Cal Ripken Jr., Bobby Bonilla, Chris Hoiles, Roberto Alomar and B.J. Surhoff.

According to STATS, the 2017 and 1996 Orioles join four other teams with seven players collecting 20 or more home runs - the 2010 Blue Jays, 2009 Yankees, 2005 Rangers and 2000 Blue Jays. Only the Yankees made it to the World Series.

The Yankees tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning after Davis committed his second error in two nights. He let Greg Bird's ground ball with one out squirt through his legs as Chase Headley raced home. Headley led off with a bunt single.

Ynoa struck out Brett Gardner and Judge to end the inning.

Bird led off the seventh with a walk against Castro and Gardner reached on Schoop's fielding miscue. Mychal Givens entered the game and walked Judge to load the bases with no outs. Sánchez followed with a fly ball to right-center field that dropped in front of Trumbo.

Gregorius drove in his fourth run of the night with a sacrifice fly off Richard Bleier and Headley added a two-out RBI single. Bird homered off Bleier with two outs in the eighth.

New York grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Gardner's leadoff double, Sánchez's single and Gregorius' sacrifice fly to right field. Severino retired nine in a row after Castillo's home run, the streak broken by Pedro Álvarez's two-out double in the fifth.

It took most of the summer, but Álvarez finally had his first hit in the majors. It also was the last for the Orioles, who keep absorbing nasty shots, another mark left on them tonight.

Manager Buck Showalter on Ynoa: "They squared him up a lot. He was fortunate. Didn't give in. His slider was there for him some. Command of fastball was a challenge for him. He gave us a chance. It was a good experience for him.

"The guys that were coming up that inning were all on him pretty good, but I'll take the end result as opposed to really ... He was challenged a little bit. That's a good lineup, but he got away with some things that were hit at people."

More Showalter on Ynoa: "He was fortunate with some hard hit balls that were right at people that created some innings that could have gotten away from him, but it didn't, so I'll take that as a positive. I did like his presentation. He didn't seem to be overly intimidated by the atmosphere he was in tonight."

Showalter on Castro hanging slider: "That's unfortunate. They're all the right pitch if you get them in the right place. Some just have a better percentage in your favor because of somebody's tendency if you get the ball in the right place, but it seemed like every time we missed a spot they've really been on it."

Showalter on offense: "It's a combination. It is. The guy's throwing 100 miles an hour in the eighth inning. That's one thing. He's one of the top ... if you put him over in the National League ... so he's one of the top pitchers in the game. But we've been facing a lot of those guys lately, and at times in the past we've done well against them.

"It's a combination of us not swinging it well and them really pitching well. That's a really deep rotation and a deep bullpen. That's why they are where they are."

Ynoa (via interpreter) on how he threw: "I think I pitched well. I think I did a good job."

Ynoa on whether he was surprised to come out: "No. I was not surprised. It's basically the manager's decision, so it was really up to him."

Ynoa on how he was challenged: "I think facing this great lineup, me trying to make the adjustments to try to beat them."

Ynoa on whether he feels like he's auditioning for next year: "Yes. Every time the manager gives me the ball I want to take advantage of the opportunity and show that I can pitch now and that I can pitch in the future, as well."

Castillo on Ynoa: "He was attacking the strike zone with his fastball and breaking ball. It's a tough lineup to face and I think he did a really good job."

Castillo on Severino: "He's tough. He's got a plus-fastball and a plus-slider. You've just got to go out there and wait for one pitch and not try to miss it because he doesn't make many mistakes."

Hays on starting in center field: "It was nice to see my name in the lineup, get out there and have an opportunity to play with these guys and get an opportunity. Just wish the game had turned out differently."

Hays on whether he was nervous: "No, it was similar to the start I had in right field in Cleveland. Just another game, going out there and playing my hardest."

Hays on challenges of major league ballparks: "The biggest challenge is probably the sound on defense. In the minors there's not a lot of people in the stands, so when you communicate with the other players it's easier to hear them. Here you have to look to understand where they are and whose going to take that ball."