masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Aug. 30 trade that brought outfielder Alejandro De Aza to the Orioles is the gift that keeps on giving.

De Aza has hit safely in eight straight games with the Orioles, including an RBI triple in the fourth inning tonight in Game 2 of a doubleheader with the Yankees.

Ryan Flaherty doubled to score David Lough, who led off with a walk, and De Aza increased the lead to 2-0.

De Aza, who’s leading off tonight with Nick Markakis on the bench, lined to center field in the first inning and…The Aug. 30 trade that brought outfielder Alejandro De Aza to the Orioles is the gift that keeps on giving.

de-aza-fist-bump-gray-sidebar.jpgDe Aza has hit safely in eight straight games with the Orioles, including an RBI triple in the fourth inning tonight in Game 2 of a doubleheader with the Yankees.

Ryan Flaherty doubled to score David Lough, who led off with a walk, and De Aza increased the lead to 2-0.

De Aza, who’s leading off tonight with Nick Markakis on the bench, lined to center field in the first inning and grounded out in the third. He’s 12-for-31 (.387) during the streak, which is the longest for a player to start his Orioles career since Eric Byrnes hit in 11 straight from July 30 to Aug. 10, 2005.

David Newhan holds the club record with a 15-game hitting streak to start his Orioles career from June 18 to July 3, 2004.

The Orioles sent minor league pitchers Mark Blackmar and Miguel Chalas to the White Sox for De Aza, who remains under team control in 2015. He’s not a rental.

Bud Norris has shut out the Yankees on two hits over five innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. He’s thrown 75 pitches, including 47 for strikes.

Orioles starters haven’t allowed a run in 12 innings in the doubleheader.

Nelson Cruz has singled and doubled tonight, and the Orioles “spring training lineup,” as I’ve heard it described, has scored as many runs in four innings as the Game 1 lineup did in 11.

A reminder that the Orioles’ last doubleheader sweep of the Yankees came on Sept. 24, 1984 in Baltimore.

Update: The Orioles loaded the bases in the seventh on three two-out walks off David Phelps, and Delmon Young followed with a two-run single to increase the lead to 4-0.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are losing to the Rays 1-0 in the eighth. The magic number could drop to five.

Norris was sensational tonight, shutting out the Yankees on three hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out a season-high 10.

Norris threw 105 pitches, 67 for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 3.74.

Orioles starters didn’t allow a run in 14 innings in the doubleheader.

Update II: Game over. The Orioles win 5-0 for their 12th shutout of the season and complete their first doubleheader sweep of the Yankees since Sept. 24, 1984.

The magic number is down to five.

The Orioles are 88-59 overall and 39-22 vs. the American League East.

De Aza had two RBIs triples on the night. He’s the 16th Oriole with two triples in the same game, and the first since Jay Payton in 2007.