The Orioles escaped Yankee Stadium with a win today. They avoided getting swept in the three-game series. They did it the hard way. The real, real, real hard way.
Once a team with a closer than almost never blew a ninth-inning lead, today the O's blew a lead in the ninth for the second time in this series.
But right-hander Logan Verrett escaped a major jam in the 10th and the Orioles scored three in the 11th to beat the Yankees 7-4. The teams are once again tied atop the American League East at 15-8.
Wade Miley once again pitched a solid game for the Orioles. But he walked five in five innings, was in constant trouble and needed 114 pitches to get 15 outs. Still, the Orioles scored three in the sixth and at one point Miley was in line for the win.
But a 4-2 Baltimore lead in the last of the ninth would not hold up. There was a balk call on Darren O'Day that advanced two runners and led to manager Buck Showalter's ejection. When Didi Gregorius singled in two runs off Donnie Hart, the game was tied at 4-4.
In the last of the 10th, the game seemed seconds from being over but Verrett, recalled today from the minors, would not let the Yankees walk it off.
He got into instant trouble on a bloop single and then his own poor decision. He threw late to second on a sac bunt attempt and New York had first and second with none out. After a successful sac bunt and a hit by pitch, the Yankees had them loaded with one out. Verrett got Starlin Castro to ground a slow roller to short. J.J. Hardy's off-balance throw home short-hopped catcher Welington Castillo at the plate, but he hung on for the force. Then Verrett struck out the very dangerous Aaron Judge. That was impressive, indeed.
Provided momentum by Verrett's escape act, the Orioles scored three in the 11th. Joey Rickard singled, stole second (the O's third steal of the day) and scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single by Trumbo, who began today in a 3-for-30 slump. Castillo singled in another run and a botched rundown by the Yankees led to the O's seventh run.
Verrett pitched a 1-2-3 last of the 11th and it was over. After only 4 hours, 37 minutes, the Orioles had a victory. So did Verrett, in his first regular season game with the club.
The Orioles went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base. New York went 3-for-13 with RISP and left 16 on base.
The O's improved to 13-7 (.650) versus the AL East, 7-5 on the road, 3-3 against the Yankees and 4-1 in extra innings.
Now it's onto Boston after a wild, wild game in the Bronx - one that ended in an epic Orioles victory.
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