Orioles open home part of schedule with 7-6 win (updated)

Pitcher Cole Irvin was the first, followed by infielder Terrin Vavra. Players jogging down the orange carpet, a Baltimore tradition for the home opener. No one suffering the embarrassment of tripping over it.  

The Orioles hoped to have the same solid footing in their game against the Yankees.

The crowd erupted for Grayson Rodriguez, and later for closer Félix Bautista. Kyle Bradish was cleared to participate after playing catch this morning to test out his bruised right foot – a session aimed more at gauging his progress and when he might be ready to get back on a mound.

Tyler Wells caught the ceremonial first pitch from Governor Wes Moore, who bounced the throw and raised his arms in mock frustration. Moore’s son, James, wore an Adley Rutschman jersey while throwing to Rodriguez. Daughter Mia threw to Jorge Mateo.

The 2023 season already started a week ago in Boston, but it felt more real today.

Pretty intense, too.

Ramón Urías’ second double broke a tie in the seventh inning, when the Orioles scored twice to reclaim the lead, and the bullpen got critical outs when needed in a 7-6 victory before an announced sellout crowd of 45,017.

The Orioles improved to 46-24 in home openers, including 22-10 at Camden Yards. They’re 4-3 with six more games waiting for them before the next road trip.

Bautista notched his third save, striking out two along the way as the crowd stood and roared. He walked Aaron Judge on four pitches with two outs and stranded him at third base by retiring Anthony Rizzo on a fly ball.

"It was a great win, especially being in front of that crowd and getting that big win is super special for us," Urías said.

"I don't remember it being like that last year. There were a couple games when there was big energy, but nothing like today."

"The crowd the entire game, that was fun," said manager Brandon Hyde. "People showed up. Really a great crowd, great energy in the ballpark. Players fed off it. You could definitely feel the excitement. Sometimes you play the Yankees here and the past few years it's been quite a few Yankees fans. Tonight it was a definite Baltimore crowd all the way through, and it was awesome to be a part of."

Urías doesn't have a set position. He started at third base today, where he won a Gold Glove last year. He will move up and down the order when he's in it. And he seems destined to keep contributing to it.

"I try to put my name on the lineup as much as I can," he said. "Just like, playing hard, playing like I did today."

Rutschman tied the game in the sixth by winning an eight-pitch battle with reliever Ron Marinaccio, lining a full-count single into left field to score Jorge Mateo after the shortstop’s single and fifth stolen base.

Ryan Mountcastle drew a leadoff walk against Marinaccio in the seventh and produced the Orioles’ 13^th stolen base of the season to lead the majors. Urías doubled off Jimmy Cordero, advanced on a ground out and scored on the reliever’s second wild pitch of the inning.

"We're going to be in every game," said outfielder Austin Hays. "No matter where we're at in any part of the game, we know we've got a chance to win. The more we can come out on top in these back and forth kind of games, the more we grow as a team and a unit, and the more we just have confidence in ourselves."

Left-hander Cionel Pérez retired the Yankees in order on five pitches in the seventh, came back out for the eighth with the lead and didn’t get an out. Three straight hits, beginning with Giancarlo Stanton’s double and ending with Oswaldo Cabrera’s run-scoring single, reduced the lead to 7-6 and brought Hyde out of the dugout to summon Bryan Baker.

Jose Trevino wanted to bunt, ran the count to 2-0 and grounded into a double play, with Urías making the backhanded stop of a scorching ground ball and stepping on the bag.

"He had a huge game for us," Hyde said. "Showed you why he was a Gold Glover last year with that play. A game-saving play. But he's also got some pop in his bat. Took some great at-bats today. Heard his parents were here, which his incredible, super cool to watch him play. Played a great game."

Baker struck out Isiah Kiner-Falefa, shouted, pumped his fist multiple times and almost tore off Rutschman’s hand with a slap after the met along the first base line.

"He gets fired up. It's like the term around here," Hyde said.

"Bake's an emotional guy and that was a huge moment for us. Get a double play ball and get a big punchout after we were scuffling in the 'pen a little bit. He got three huge outs for us."

"I think I blacked out a little bit," Baker quipped. "I think it was fun, though."

Logan Gillaspie inherited a runner with no outs in the top of the sixth and the Orioles ahead 4-3 after Stanton’s leadoff blooper into left field, on the 87^th and final pitch from Dean Kremer. Gleyber Torres walked and Cabrera doubled to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead.

Kremer was charged with four runs and five hits in five-plus innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. He fanned Judge on a sweeper and 95.6 mph fastball above the zone, and also retired him on a fly ball.

One of Kremer’s walks was against Franchy Cordero, a late camp cut by the Orioles who opted out of his contract and signed with the Yankees. He made it to Camden Yards anyway.

And he wanted everyone to know it.

Cordero hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 4-3. Kremer issued a two-out walk to Trevino and Cordero drove a cutter 411 feet to right-center field.

The Orioles began today tied with the Dodgers for most runs scored between the first and fifth innings with 30. They took the lead in the second and padded it in the third.

Gunnar Henderson singled with one out in the second for the first Orioles hit in a home game, and he scored the first run on Adam Frazier’s single that followed a Urías walk against Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt.

Urías scored after Torres booted a potential double play grounder from Austin Hays. Mateo struck out and third baseman DJ LeMahieu made a lunging stop of Cedric Mullins’ grounder and got the force at second.

Frazier was robbed of an RBI hit in the fifth on Judge’s diving catch in center.

Rutschman drew a leadoff walk in the third, Anthony Santander doubled down the right field line to snap an 0-for-13 streak, and Mountcastle flied to deep center. Henderson doubled to score Santander for a 4-0 lead.

Kremer got in and out of a jam in the first. LeMahieu walked and Rizzo singled, but in between was one of Judge’s strikeout. The 19-pitch inning included a fly ball and grounder that got Kremer back into the dugout.

LeMahieu led off the third with an infield hit, but Judge flied out, Rizzo struck out and Rutschman registered the caught stealing to complete the double play.

Kremer lasted three innings in Boston and allowed five runs and six hits. He allowed one hit in three scoreless innings today, but a two-out single by Cabrera in the fourth started a rally that Cordero punctuated.

What followed was a 1-2-3 fifth inning that left Kremer at 85 pitches and enabled him to return for the sixth. He was done after Stanton’s hit.

"Felt better this time than I did last time," Kremer said. "I did a better job mixing pitches and keeping them off balance."

Left-hander Danny Coulombe committed a balk in the sixth after replacing Gillaspie, but he retired the two batters he faced to keep the deficit at one run. Pérez disposed of LeMahieu, Judge and Rizzo in rapid fashion in the seventh, but the drama wasn’t over.

The Orioles went 7-12 against the Yankees last season, including 4-6 at Camden Yards. They’re 1-0 so far in 2023.

"As far as I'm concerned, they're a tough team to beat and they're contenders now," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "You know you've got to play well to beat them. ... They're a formidable opponent. We know that. We saw that building the last couple years but certainly last year, and now they're playing with a lot of confidence. They're a tough team to play against."

They're also capable of whipping their fans into a frenzy.

The chants of "Let's Go Yankees" weren't nearly as loud today. Visitors weren't taking over the ballpark.

"To see all these fans out there, it's special," Kremer said. "They came out today, the energy was great. It was a lot of fun.

"Today, I think we definitely outnumbered them and it was an awesome sight to see. I hope a lot of games are going to be like that."

"It was electric from the start," Baker said. "Feeding off their energy is something we can definitely use."

Said Henderson: "It was really awesome to be able to play behind them because I know it's a baseball city and they love the Orioles. Going out there and being able to win was really awesome. I was glad for the fans."