Hess allows nine runs in O's loss to Yankees

The 2019 season was off to a good start for Orioles right-hander David Hess. Two scoreless in relief on opening day followed by 6 1/3 no-hit innings in Toronto. But since then it's been mostly a series of shaky pitching marked by opponent home runs.

That trend continued tonight at Camden Yards.

A night after their 10-7 come-from-behind win over the Orioles, the Yankees were swinging big again. Hess allowed nine runs as New York beat the O's 11-4 to take the first two games of this four-game set.

The Orioles (15-33) have allowed 10 or more runs for three straight games and four times in the last six. They've lost seven of eight, 11 of 13 and 17 of their last 22. The Yankees (30-17) are 7-1 in its last eight games and a major league best 22-7 since April 19. New York is 14-4 in AL East games.

Hess' night started single, single, three-run homer by Gary Sánchez and didn't get much better after that. He allowed a two-run homer to Clint Frazier in the third when New York opened a 6-0 lead and three-run homer to Frazier again in the fifth to move the Yankees ahead 9-0.

Hess went five innings allowing eight hits and nine runs and falls to 1-6 with an ERA of 6.75. Over his past six games he is 0-4 with an ERA of 9.23, allowing 13 homers in 26 1/3. In four games this year versus New York, Hess has allowed 18 runs (17 earned) over 18 innings and has given up 12 homers.

As for O's pitchers on the year, the three longballs allowed tonight brings their total to 100 given up in 2019. They have allowed 29 in 10 games versus the Yankees, 23 in six games to Minnesota and 14 in four contests against Oakland. So those three teams have combined to 66 of the 100.

According to ESPN, the 2019 Orioles have yielded 100 homers faster than any club ever. The previous fastest was the 2000 Kansas City Royals in game 57. The O's allowed No. 100 homer tonight in game 48. They are on a pace to yield a major league record 338.

The Orioles were facing right-hander Domingo Germán, MLB's wins leader who entered tonight ranked fifth in the AL in ERA. Stevie Wilkerson hit a three-run homer off him in the fifth as Germán gave up five hits and three runs (two earned) over five innings. He improved to 9-1 with a 2.60 ERA.

The Orioles have allowed 31 runs the last three games and 35 during a four-game losing streak. This is their sixth four-game losing streak and they've not yet gone past four in 2019. The Yankees have won 10 straight games at Camden Yards dating to July 11, 2018, their longest winning streak ever in Baltimore.