Tanaka Dazzles In 2nd Straight Start As Yankees Top Orioles
NEW YORK (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka pitched six scoreless innings to extend his unbeaten streak to 13 starts, Miguel Andujar hit a three-run homer and the New York Yankees beat Baltimore 6-3 on Tuesday night after the veteran-shedding Orioles dealt away three more players.
Coming off a three-hit shutout of Tampa Bay, Tanaka found his command after a 31-pitch first inning and limited the Orioles to a pair of singles and a double. Tanaka (9-2) struck out eight and walked two, lowering his ERA to 2.00 over his last five starts. He is 7-0 in 13 starts since an April 17 loss against Miami.
New York (68-37) moved 31 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season, beating the Orioles for only the sixth time in 11 meetings this year. The Yankees are on their first three-game winning streak since four straight victories from June 18-21.
Baltimore (32-75), coming off its first three-game winning streak since mid-May, traded infielder Jonathan Schoop to Milwaukee before the game for infielder Jonathan Villar and a pair of prospects, and dealt pitchers Kevin Gausman and Darren O'Day to Atlanta for four prospects and $2.5 million in international signing bonus allotment.
Having previously traded slugging infielder Manny Machado, closer Zach Britton and reliever Brad Brach, the Orioles obtained 15 prospects and $2.75 million in international allotment for six veterans while cutting nearly $29 million in payroll obligations for this year and next.
A sign of the Orioles' troubles: first baseman Chris Davis, in the third season of a $161 million, seven-year contract, went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts and is hitting .157. That would be by far the lowest average for an official qualifier, breaking the mark of .179 shared by Rob Deer (1991) and Dan Uggla (2013).
Run-scoring singles by Gleyber Torres in the first and Greg Bird in the third built a 2-0 lead, and Bird hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth ahead of Andujar's 13th homer. Yefry Ramirez (1-4), coming off his first big league win, allowed all six runs and lasted five innings.
Jace Peterson hit a two-run double in the eighth off A.J. Cole, and Peterson scored from second when Dellin Betances' pitch went off the mitt of Kyle Higashioka for a passed ball. Andujar allowed the catcher's throw to bounce off his glove for an error by the third baseman.
Aroldis Chapman struck out the side for the second straight game and got his 29th save in 30 chances, his 21st in a row.
NOT SLAMMING
Since Bird's grand slam at Baltimore on July 11, the Yankees are 0 for 14 with four sacrifice flies with the bases loaded.
SEATS
A crowd of 46,473 was New York's 21st home sellout, the most at new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009.
MOVES
Baltimore selected the contract of RHP Cody Carroll from Norfolk and recalled INF Breyvic Valera from the Triple-A club. Carroll has never played in the major leagues.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: LHP J.A. Happ was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease, and it's not clear whether he will be able to start Saturday at Boston. RHP Luis Cessa was removed after allowing one run and two hits in one inning at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and could get the start against the Red Sox. Newly acquired RHP Lance Lynn, due to report Wednesday, is another possibility. ... OF Clint Frazier is dealing with a migraine issue, not a concussion, according to Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
UP NEXT
RHP Sonny Gray (8-7, 5.08) starts Wednesday afternoon's series finale for New York and RHP Alex Cobb (2-14, 6.08) for Baltimore. Gray has won three straight starts for the first time in a year. Cobb leads the major leagues in losses after defeats in five straight outings; he opened with three hitless innings in his last outing, against Tampa Bay.
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