O's game blog: Looking for a series win against New York

The New York Yankees (65-31), who own the best record in the majors, have lost just five series all year, one already against the Orioles. The O's can win a second series this season versus the Yankees if they take the series finale today at Oriole Park.

After Friday's 7-6 loss to New York, the Orioles fell behind 3-0 after four innings last night. But they rallied to beat the Yankees 6-3, scoring two runs each in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings.

Baltimore's two-run fifth pulled them within 3-2, the two-run seventh put them ahead and the Ramón Urías two-run homer in the eighth added some big-time late insurance runs.

Batting No. 8 and No. 9, Urías and Jorge Mateo combined to go 5-for-8 with four runs and three RBIs.

The Orioles have won 12 of their last 15, 17 of 25 and 23 of the last 35 games. They are now 26-18 at home and are 9-1 their past 10 home games.

The Orioles improved to 17-22 versus American League East teams and to 5-10 against the Yankees. They are 3-3 their last six games versus New York and they are 13-11 in their past 24 games within the AL East. 

Urías hit his 10th home run of the season, and now has hit four homers in his last seven games. He is batting .404/.440/.723 (19-for-47) with three doubles, four home runs, 10 runs scored and 16 RBIs since being reinstated from the 10-day IL on July 4.

Center fielder Cedric Mullins went 2-for-3 and tallied his team-leading 28th multi-hit game of the season and his seventh in his last 17 games. He drove in the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Catcher Adley Rutschman was 1-for-3 with a double and RBI. He recorded his 16th double since June 10. Entering play Saturday, he ranked second in MLB in doubles during that period. For Rutschman, 23 of his first 39 big-league hits have gone for extra bases (17 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR).

Mateo had two hits and drove in Urías with a single in the seventh inning to tie the game at three. That marked his fourth career game-tying plate appearance in the seventh inning or later. Mateo has four multi-hit efforts in his last eight games.

Right-hander Dean Kremer (3-1, 2.59 ERA) pitches today's series finale. The Orioles are 6-2 in his eight starts for the season. He allowed three runs and eight hits over four innings last Saturday versus Tampa Bay. Kremer has allowed two earned runs or less five times and thrown four scoreless starts.

Lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. (7-3, 2.63 ERA) makes the start for the Yankees. Cortes has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his first seven starts this year and has done that in five of his past 10 outings. He made the All-Star team and pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the AL on Tuesday night at Los Angeles. He faced the Orioles on April 17 at O's Park and pitched five scoreless with 12 strikeouts. 

The Orioles are 33-23 since May 19 and 40-33 since May 1 after going 7-14 in April. They begin today 3 1/2 games back of the final AL playoff spot.