Frazier Leads Another Home Run Barrage In Baltimore, Yankees Win 11-4
BALTIMORE (CBSNewYork/AP) — The New York Yankees have climbed into first place in the AL East in spite of a myriad of injuries and partially because the front end of their schedule is loaded with games against the Baltimore Orioles.
Clint Frazier homered twice and had a career-high five RBI, Gary Sánchez contributed a three-run drive and the Yankees kept up their assault on Baltimore pitching in an 11-4 rout Tuesday night.
Nearly a fifth of New York's 47 games thus far have been against the Orioles, who are 6-17 at home and 15-33 overall, the worst record in the AL. The Yankees are 8-2 against the Orioles, have outscored them 73-40 and hit at least one home run in every game.
New York is 5-0 at Camden Yards this season and has won an unprecedented 10 straight in Baltimore, opening a two-game division lead despite 17 players going on the injured list.
"I personally like hitting in this ballpark and it's a fun atmosphere whenever we're here," Frazier said. "Our team is really good, so it's just a matter of whenever we get hot, what are we going to do?"
Despite missing two weeks with an ankle injury, Frazier is still fourth on the Yankees with 23 RBI this season. That's also a career-high for the young outfielder.
Against Baltimore, the answer is obvious — even if the Yankees are without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius, Troy Tulowitzki and a host of others.
"This a really special team and obviously things haven't gone our way with guys on the injury list," Frazier said. "We're shocking people but we're not shocking ourselves because we know what we can do."
Five of Frazier's eight home runs this season have come against Baltimore, and Sánchez and Gleyber Torres each have homered eight times against Baltimore pitching.
New York made it easy for Domingo Germán (9-1) to win his sixth consecutive start and increase his major league-leading victory total. The right-hander pitched only five innings and left with a 9-3 lead.
The only blemish against New York's unlikely ace came in the fifth when German threw away an easy double-play opportunity and then surrendered a three-run homer on the next pitch. german would escape the inning with a 9-3 lead and call it a night. The 26-year-old still has a dazzling 2.60 ERA after his latest outing.
David Hale worked four innings to earn his first save since 2010 at Class-A.
Of the major league-high 100 home runs the Orioles have allowed, 28 have been hit by the Yankees.
"We're facing good teams, but you've got to pitch here," Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. "You have to stay off the barrel and you've got to be able to locate. And if you don't, in a hitter's ballpark against guys that mash, you're going to give up 100 homers 40-something games into it."
Oh, these Yankees can mash.
"We have obviously capable guys and guys with a lot of power," manager Aaron Boone said. "When we have gotten mistakes, we've been able to take advantage."
Sánchez got it started, hitting his second three-run homer in as many nights before David Hess (1-6) got an out. Sánchez has hit eight of his 14 home runs versus the Orioles.
In the third, Gio Urshela doubled in a run before Frazier homered , and New York went up 9-0 in the fifth when Frazier connected following a pair of walks. Both of his multi-homer games gave been against Baltimore.
SIX-IN-FIVE CLUB:
Sánchez has six HRs at Camden Yards this season — in only five games. The only other Yankees to hit at least six HRs in their first five games at a ballpark in one season are Lou Gehrig (1930, League Park), Babe Ruth (1930, Shibe Park) and Tony Lazzeri (1936, Shibe Park).
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Gregorius returned from Tommy John surgery to play in an extended spring training game Monday, but emerged dehydrated and was given an IV. Boone said Gregorius was held out of Tuesday's game but was fine and will resume playing Wednesday.
Stanton (left shoulder) skipped a game in his rehab assignment with Class-A Tampa after being hit near the knee with a pitch a few days earlier, but is expected to resume playing Wednesday.
RHP Dellin Betances (right shoulder) is "bouncing back well," Boone said after the reliever threw 120 feet on flat ground Tuesday.
LHP James Paxton (knee) will pitch a simulated game (three innings) at the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, on Friday and if everything goes well, he'll be able to rejoin the rotation.
RHP Masahiro Tanaka, forced from Saturday's game after being hit in the leg with a comebacker, will start against the Orioles on Thursday.
Judge (left oblique) shagged fly balls and took swings without a ball on Tuesday and is "definitely feeling better," Boone said.
UP NEXT:
Yankees CC Sabathia (2-1, 2.97 ERA) starts Wednesday night, trying to break a streak of six straight winless starts in Baltimore since June 5, 2016.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)