O's hit three homers, make three errors in loss (with quotes)

The game started an hour and 44 minutes late due to a delay that featured little rain. Kevin Gausman allowed two homers and the home team made three errors in the top of the sixth. So there have been better nights for the Orioles this year.

At least the run total was higher than the errors total by one.

They did cut a four-run deficit to two in the sixth and hit three home runs of their own but they lost 8-5 to the New York Yankees, who have taken the first two games in this series.

While the Yankees (37-17) moved a season-high 20 games over .500, the Orioles (17-41) lost their seventh in a row. They have also lost nine of their past 11 and are 0-5 on this homestand which ends Sunday.

Gausman did fan nine batters - one off his career-best - but he also allowed six runs (five earned) and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. He falls to 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA.

Over his past two starts - including one on the road versus Tampa Bay - he has pitched eight innings allowing 15 hits and 13 runs, of which 12 were earned. In his eight starts before that he went 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA.

Miguel Andújar hit a two-run homer in the second to provide the Yankees with a 2-1 lead after Adam Jones hit a first-inning homer. Jones hit No. 10 off a Masahiro Tanaka splitter. Jones has hit 10 or more homers for 10 straight seasons. The homer made him 10-for-25 against Tanaka.

But Giancarlo Stanton's two-run homer in the third extended the lead to 4-1. That was reduced to 4-2 when Joey Rickard homered to left in the home third. He hit No. 3 on a fastball.

But the top of the sixth was pretty much a defensive disaster for the Orioles as they made three errors leading to two runs, one unearned, as New York went ahead 6-2. The inning included two errors on Jones in center and one on second baseman Jonathan Schoop for throwing high and past first base on an easy double play ball.

But at least the Orioles would get those runs back in the home sixth. Manny Machado led off with his 18th homer and later Danny Valencia doubled in the Orioles fourth run to pull within two. Machado has 20 career homers against the Yankees, his most versus any opponent.

New York added two runs in the eighth versus Mychal Givens as Aaron Hicks singled in a run for a two-RBI game and Andújar had an RBI double for a three-RBI game. The O's added one on Jones single in the last of the ninth plating Valencia after his second double.

Tanaka got the win, but he didn't pitch well either. Over 5 1/3 he gave up eight hits and four runs and is 7-2 with a 4.79 ERA after his 97-pitch outing.

The Orioles did end a run of seven straight games and 12 of the past 13 where they scored three runs or less. Scoring five provided them their highest total since they beat the White Sox 9-3 on May 24. But even after getting five today, the Orioles have scored just 12 runs their past seven games and 29 in the last 13. They did hit three homers today, all solo shots, after hitting just four over the previous nine games.

New York can complete the sweep on Sunday when right-hander Alex Cobb (1-7, 6.80 ERA) faces right-hander Domingo German (0-3, 5.45 ERA) at 1:05 p.m.

Postgame quotes:

Gausman on lack of runs and frustration for pitchers: "Yeah, you know, but it's all on us too. If I go out there and shut the door in that sixth, we might win that ballgame. That's where it comes down to being more consistent. That's one thing I have kind of prided myself on this season, kind of being the same guy every five days. Obviously, my last start and today it kind of got away from me."

Jones on his two errors in the sixth: "Balls hit hard at me. Didn't make the play so what, didn't make the play. Sorry. Made a lot of plays. Now I don't make a play and you want to make it a story. So, do better. Make the play."

Jones on the Orioles grinding out some at-bats: "I feel like we are, we're just not getting results. I know that it sucks. It's a results-based industry, so, everybody wants results and now we're not getting the results collectively."

Jones on what is missing defensively?: "Efficiency. Individually we've got a really good team. Collectively we haven't played well. Balls put in play we usually make the outs. Playing 27 outs was the main part of our team. Now it seems we're playing 30, 33 outs sometimes. Major Leagues, you can't allow that. You have to play 27 outs. We thrived on playing 27 outs. When you don't you suffer the consequences."

Jones on how frustrating the losing has been and how it has worn on the team: "Not frustrated, like angry-frustrated. Professionally frustrated. Because, all the time and effort you put into the offseason and spring training and right now it's not working as a team. It comes with that. Only reason we play this game is to win and we're not doing it right now. So, it's professional frustration. But I've been around awhile, so I kind of know how to handle it and not let it fester and become a cancer."