Orioles rally to down Yankees
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Davis went 2-for-5 with three RBI and had a hand in a big sixth inning that lifted the Baltimore Orioles to a 7- 5 win over the New York Yankees.
Baltimore scored five times in the sixth to erase a 3-2 deficit, with Davis delivering a two-run double and Delmon Young coming through with a pinch-hit, go-ahead single. Caleb Joseph also singled in a run while going 3-for-4.
Jonathan Schoop fueled the comeback with a solo homer, while Manny Machado had one earlier to help the Orioles claim the rubber match of this three-game set and finish 3-3 on their first homestand of the season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The rally enabled Brad Brach (1-0) to pick up the victory with two shutout innings in relief of Bud Norris, with Zach Britton working a scoreless ninth to nail down his second save in as many nights.
"One of the key outings was Brad Brach," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Brad pitched really well for us."
Nathan Eovaldi was denied a first win as a Yankee when the New York bullpen faltered in the sixth, as David Carpenter (0-1) and Justin Wilson were blasted for five runs while recording only a single out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alex Rodriguez homered and ended 2-for-3 for the Yankees, who failed to take a series for the third time to begin the season. Carlos Beltran laced a two-run double in the loss.
"It's frustrating and not the way you want to start," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "We have to start winning series or it becomes a long year."
Eovaldi struck out nine over five innings and exited with a 3-2 lead after stranding nine Orioles over his stint. However, Baltimore had little problem producing clutch hits against Carpenter and Wilson during its outburst in the sixth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Schoop deposited Carpenter's second pitch into the home bullpen to even the score, and Alejandro De Aza followed with a single that preceded to a one-out intentional walk to Adam Jones. Young then greeted Wilson with a base hit to bring in De Aza and break the tie, right before Davis plated two more with an opposite-field double that increased the lead to 6-3.
Davis later crossed the plate on Joseph's third hit of the night, and Brach tossed a scoreless seventh prior to Tommy Hunter running into trouble in the eighth.
Hunter was reached for a single by Chase Headley and a double from Mark Teixeira that put two in scoring position with one out. After Brian McCann lofted a sacrifice fly, Teixeira raced home on a wild pitch to pull New York within 7-5.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Yankees did put the tying run on in the ninth when Chris Young doubled off Britton and Jacoby Ellsbury drew a two-out walk. The Baltimore closer got Headley to bounce into a fielder's choice, though, to end the game.
Norris retired eight of the first nine New York hitters before struggling the second time through the order. He surrendered a two-out double to Ellsbury and walked Headley in the second inning to bring up Beltran, who crushed a fastball off the top of the wall in right center to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
Baltimore had recorded the game's initial run with three first-inning singles off Eovaldi, with Davis driving in Everth Cabrera on the last.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rodriguez's 656th career homer, a no-doubter deep into the left-field seats put the Yankees ahead by two in the top of the fourth. However, Machado got the run back by crushing Eovaldi's hanging slider inside the foul pole in left in the Orioles' half of the inning.
Norris lasted five innings, fanning seven but permitting three runs.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Teixeira has recorded a hit and an RBI in each of his last six games, his longest streak since a six-game run from May 24-30, 2011 ... Young led the majors with a .500 average (10-for-20) as a pinch-hitter last season ... Rodriguez's homer also was his 1,923rd career run scored, tying ex-Yankee teammate Derek Jeter for ninth place on baseball's all-time list ... Eovaldi has not won in 11 consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the majors. The former Miami Marlin is 0-8 with three no-decisions over the stretch ... Yankees reliever Branden Pinder, called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre earlier Wednesday, made his major league debut and threw a scoreless seventh inning.