Mullins joins 25/25 club and O's rally for 8-7 win (updated)

Nine consecutive four-seam fastballs to Gary Sánchez in the second inning today showed tremendous confidence in the pitch. But also with the obvious risks and other potential repercussions.

Sánchez got the barrel on the ninth, with the bases loaded and the Orioles ahead by a run, and launched it into the second deck for a grand slam.

The chance at a rare series win on the road seemed to disappear with the ball, but the Orioles kept clawing, kept putting runners on base and finally found ways to avoid stranding them. Mainly due to the bottom of their order and a stubbornness that's their most flattering streak of 2021.

Jahmai Jones' two-run double and Jorge Mateo's RBI bloop single on the 12th pitch of his at-bat against Andrew Heaney tied the game in the seventh inning, and Kelvin Gutiérrez lined a go-ahead single into left field off Wandy Peralta.

Tanner Scott stranded two runners in the seventh and one in the eighth, and Tyler Wells registered his first major league save in the Orioles' 8-7 victory over the Yankees.

The Orioles are 43-92 overall and 7-9 against the Yankees. They rallied to win their first series in the Bronx since March 28-31, 2019, the first with manager Brandon Hyde. Their last road series win came on July 16-18 in Kansas City.

Asked about today's win perhaps being the most satisfying of the season, Hyde said, "It is just because of the way we came back. Kind of crawled our way back there with some really good at-bats there in the sixth and the seventh innings and Cedric with the homer.

"Watching Tanner Scott and Tyler Wells pitch there in the end, that was just really a great job of pitching, so we did a lot of really good things in this series. Had a chance to win all three games. I was really happy with how we came back from being down 4-1. I let our guys know, it's OK to win 7-2 once in a while, also."

Wells had to get through Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo for his ninth scoreless appearance in a row.

"It's awesome, I love his aggressive behavior when he goes out there and attacks the zone," said Cedric Mullins. "Smart with his pitches, locating very well. It's just awesome to be behind him."

"It's very impressive," said Keegan Akin. "A guy coming off Tommy John and COVID hits and you've got to sit out last year and didn't get to play. So for him to come in here and do what he's done is outstanding for him and kind of gives hope for other guys watching that story that he's been through. I'm proud of him and just glad to have him here and finding the success he's having in the backend of the bullpen."

Said Hyde: "We've been trying to get him a save opportunity for two months."

Akin couldn't build on his back-to-back impressive starts, lasting four innings but retiring eight of his last nine batters. Akin was charged with four runs and three hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, 53 for strikes, but happily took a no-decision.

"Kind of locked it in after that and started to mix it a little better and found some success there," Akin said.

Austin Hays led off the second inning with his 15th home run, also extending his hitting streak to 12 games, and Mullins joined the 25/25 club, but the eighth slam surrendered by the Orioles this season and Sánchez's two-run shot off Marcos Diplán in the sixth appeared to carry the Orioles to their 93rd loss.

Gutiérrez reached on an infield hit with two outs in the sixth and Mullins hit his 25th home run after stealing his 26th base back in the first inning. Mullins, Don Baylor (1975) and Reggie Jackson (1976) are the only Orioles with 25/25 seasons.

Mullins' shot to right field off Albert Abreu reduced the lead to 5-4.

"It's crazy," Mullins said. "Just to be told it's been a solid minute since someone has come around and put together a 25/25 season. I'm just out there putting my all every single day and to have the results show is a pretty amazing feeling."

The rally in the seventh began with Trey Mancini being hit by a pitch and singles by DJ Stewart and Hays. Jones, who replaced Ramón Urías, followed with his double, and Mateo's single with one out tied the game. Gutiérrez greeted Peralta with a single for his 13th RBI.

Heaney started against the Orioles in his Yankees debut on Aug. 2 and surrendered four home runs in four innings.

Urías exited with a recurrence of the soreness in his upper right leg and he's day-to-day.

Conner Greene walked the first two batters in the fifth and Rizzo's two-out bloop single into right field off Fernando Abad extended the Yankees' lead to 5-2. Sánchez parked a Diplán fastball into the left field seats in the sixth after Gleyber Torres singled off Abad.

Luke Voit walked with one out in the second, Torres singled and Rougned Odor was hit on the left wrist to load the bases. Sánchez, lowered again to ninth in the order, drove the ninth fastball 430 feet with a 113 mph exit velocity per Statcast.

Mullins began the game with a walk, notched his 26th stolen base and raced to third on Sánchez's throwing error. Anthony Santander just missed a home run down the right field line before striking out, Mancini struck out swinging and Stewart struck out looking.

Some squandered opportunities look worse than others.

Mullins also has 32 doubles as he waits for confirmation that he's the Most Valuable Oriole for 2021.

Akin gave up a leadoff single to DJ LeMahieu in the first, got a called third strike against Joey Gallo on a slider below the zone, and struck out Judge on a 92 mph fastball and Stanton at 93 mph.

So that's how it was going to be?

Just for one inning.

Urías walked in the second and was thrown out trying to steal as Pedro Severino fanned. Mateo became Kluber's fifth strikeout victim to end the inning.

Mullins singled in the third, Mancini walked with two outs and Stewart flied out. Urías singled and Severino doubled with one out in the fourth and Mateo's sacrifice fly reduced the lead to 4-2 as rain continued to fall.

Kluber hit Gutiérrez and didn't make it out of the inning. Mullins struck out against Joely Rodriguez and the Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Rodriguez made 33 appearances with Triple-A Norfolk in 2018, posting a 4.56 ERA, before opting out of his contract and pitching in Japan.

Mancini walked with one out in the fifth, reaching base for the eighth time in his last nine plate appearances, and Rodriguez was removed after walking Stewart - and after plate umpire Jeff Nelson squeezed him, which led to manager Aaron Boone's ejection.

Abreu escaped the jam by inducing two ground balls and the Orioles were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They were 0-for-8 before Hays' single in the seventh loaded the bases, and they went 4-for-7 in the inning.

Stanton made a diving catch in right field to rob Santander after Mullins' home run.

The Orioles were the last team standing.

"It's huge." Mullins said. "It just kind of goes back to us having faith in each other. We always felt like we were very competitive and it just didn't show at times."

The last four games have been decided by one run and the streak began after a two-run margin.

"I think we've played well this whole road trip, really, Toronto and then here," Akin said. "It's huge to come in here and win two out of three and win a series and put up the runs we did today. And shoutout to the offense. They picked it up and picked up the pitching today, so they're the focal point of the last few innings there, in my opinion."

Notes: Left-hander Zac Lowther will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and start Monday night against the Royals at Camden Yards.

Double-A Bowie's Kyle Stowers hit two more home runs today to give him 24 this season, most among Orioles minor leaguers.