NEW YORK – Jackson Holliday singled on the first pitch thrown this morning. The Orioles had their fill yesterday of no-hit tomfoolery. Get that drama out of the way quickly and go about trying to win a series.
They made it to the eighth inning before losing their lead, and the series.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined a two-run double into right-center field off Bryan Baker to move the Yankees past the Orioles 4-2 before an announced crowd of 45,571.
Ben Rice led off the inning with a single and Giancarlo Stanton lined a one-out single into left field at 110.7 mph. Chisholm brought home Rice and pinch-runner Paul Goldschmidt, who slid across the plate as catcher Gary Sánchez tried to make a lunging tag.
Chisholm went to third base, and he scored an insurance run when Sánchez failed to hold onto Gunnar Henderson’s throw on DJ LeMahieu’s grounder.
Dean Kremer allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings, and the bullpen kept bending before it snapped, leaving the Orioles 3-4 on the road trip and 33-44 overall.
The day couldn’t pass without another injury. Catcher Maverick Handley came out of the game in the bottom of the second inning after a collision with Chisholm.
DJ LeMahieu singled into left field with two outs, Handley moved up the line to field Colton Cowser’s throw, and Chisholm ran into his arm and sent him sprawling to the ground. The run scored after the ball popped out of Handley’s mitt, head athletic trainer Scott Barringer checked on him, and Sánchez put on the gear for the third time in the series.
The Orioles recalled Handley yesterday from the emergency taxi squad and placed Adley Rutschman on the injured list. Rutschman is expected to be out until after the All-Star break with a strained left oblique.
David Bañuelos held his usual spot on the taxi squad and could become an option for the Orioles, who are simply trying to carry a full roster. Chadwick Tromp isn’t in Triple-A Norfolk’s lineup and could meet the team in Baltimore.
Infielder Jordan Westburg wasn’t available after spraining his left index finger yesterday, and Sánchez having to replace Handley took another piece out of the bench.
The first four batters and five of six reached against Yankees starter Will Warren in the first inning. He picked off Holliday at second base, but the Orioles scored twice on a run-scoring single by Ryan O’Hearn and RBI double by Colton Cowser. Ramón Urías was hit by a pitch after Holliday’s single and Henderson walked.
The Orioles tied the franchise record with a walk in 155 consecutive games.
More important was how they wouldn’t be shut out again today. O’Hearn jumped on a first-pitch curveball and lined it into right field. Cowser delivered with two outs, taking a four-seam fastball the other way for a 2-0 lead.
O’Hearn singled again with two outs in the third inning, also on the first pitch of the at-bat.
According to STATS, O’Hearn was hitting .533 and slugging 1.100 with four home runs when he put the first pitch he saw in play.
Kremer escaped a jam in the third by striking out Cody Bellinger to strand two runners, and he retired seven in a row before walking Aaron Judge to begin the sixth. Judge went to third base on Rice’s double and they held as Dylan Carlson made a sliding catch in right field to deny Bellinger and Stanton struck out on three pitches.
Keegan Akin replaced Kremer, and Chisholm flied to right field. Kremer threw 85 pitches and allowed five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Seranthony Domínguez put two runners on base in the seventh and struck out Judge on a full-count splitter to preserve the lead, but Baker wasn’t as fortunate. Félix Bautista warmed for a save opportunity that never arrived.
Fernando Cruz struck out three batters in the top of the eighth after left-hander Tim Hill issued a pair of walks. The Orioles couldn’t make it easier on the ‘pen, and it cost them.
Holliday singled off Devin Williams with two outs in the ninth and Urías grounded out.
* Double-A Chesapeake reinstated pitcher Braxton Bragg from the injured list. Bragg is the No. 15 prospect in the system, per MLB Pipeline, and he started today for the Baysox.