Yankees Smash 16 Hits In 8-6 Win Over Orioles

The New York Yankees held on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 8-6 on a Saturday night roller coaster ride.

The Yankees broke through against Orioles’ starter Tyler Wilson in the third inning. Chase Headley bounced a double off of the left field wall to put the Yankees in business. Rob Refsnyder lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track to move Headley to third base. Austin Romine then followed with another fly ball to Adam Jones in centerfield. Jones made the catch, but his throw home was slightly off line allowing Headley to score.

In the fourth inning the dam broke and the flood waters rushed through for the Yankees offense. They scored four runs on five hits. Carlos Beltran got it started with a line drive single. Alex Rodriguez followed with another single moving Beltran to second base. Starlin Castro doubled, scoring Beltran and sending Rodriguez to third. Castro hustled all the way out of the batter’s box and just beat the throw to second with a slide.

Next, Didi Gregorious floated a fly ball that appeared to drift over the right field foul pole. The umpires ruled foul ball. A replay review confirmed the call. Gregorious eventually grounded out to bring Rodriguez home with the Yankees third run.

Refsnyder then came up with an RBI opportunity. And he didn’t disappoint. He drilled a double into the right field corner and the Yankees were ahead 4-0. Romine followed with a single to make it 5-0.

And the Yankees didn’t stop in the fifth. A single by Rodriguez sent Brett Gardner flying into third.  Castro singled to increase the Yankees lead to 6-0. Meanwhile, Ivan Nova was cruising along, allowing only two hits and no runs through five innings. His slider was rolling right off the table.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner executed a perfect hit and run in the sixth. Ellsbury took off from first and Gardner slapped the ball through the vacated hole. But they didn’t stop there. The Yankees’ speedsters then executed a double steal with Gardner swiping second and Ellsbury stealing home.

But Nova ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh. The Orioles hit three home runs, two off of Nova and one off of Nick Goody. Girardi had seen enough. He called in Andrew Miller who retired three batters in a row to end the threat. Miller followed that by setting the Orioles down in order in the eighth.

The roller coaster turned in the Yankees favor again in the ninth. Alex Rodriguez drilled an RBI single to give the Yankees an insurance run.

Romine left the game before the bottom of the ninth with an apparent injury. Refsnyer handled all of his plays flawlessly at first base to go with his double. Aroldis Chapman closed it out. The Yankees belted 16 hits in earning the win.