Ryan Mountcastle and Jorge Mateo each homered and drove in two runs to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday. The win secured a series victory for the Orioles in the first meeting of the season between these two likely AL East contenders.
The Orioles' offense was powered by home runs from Mountcastle, Mateo, and Ryan McKenna, as well as a two-run triple from Jordan Westburg. The Yankees' starter, Carlos Rodón, struggled, giving up seven runs on eight hits in his shortest outing of the season.
Baltimore's pitching was a standout in the series, allowing just six runs across the four games. Kyle Bradish, making his first start after coming off the injured list, gave up only one run in 4 2/3 innings. Keegan Akin provided solid middle relief, allowing just one run.
Gleyber Torres hit his first home run for the Yankees but also committed an error that extended a crucial inning for the Orioles. Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed disappointment in Torres' defensive lapse.
The Orioles capitalized on the Yankees' mistakes, with Mountcastle, Mateo, and McKenna all hitting home runs off Rodón. A key moment came in the fifth inning when Westburg's triple drove in two runs, followed by Mateo's sacrifice fly.
Bradish, a former Cy Young candidate, showed his quality by escaping early jams and pitching effectively in his return. The Orioles are excited to have him back in the rotation.
In terms of roster moves, the Yankees welcomed back Alex Verdugo from the paternity list and optioned Carlos Narvaez to Triple-A. The Orioles activated Bradish and designated Yohan Ramirez for assignment. John Means is set to make his first start of the season on Saturday after being activated from the injured list.
Looking ahead, the Yankees will send Marcus Stroman to the mound to face the Detroit Tigers, while the Orioles will start Cole Irvin against the Cincinnati Reds.
