Yanks’ hex at Camden extended
O’s surrender 5 HRs in 15th straight home loss to N.Y.
Left-hander John Means first established himself as someone who could perhaps be a legitimate major league pitcher in the Orioles’ series-clinching victory over the New York Yankees in the final game of the teams’ season-opening set in the Bronx.
The Orioles haven’t beaten the Yankees since. In the early innings of his return to the mound after a two-week hiatus with a left bicep strain, Means looked much like the pitcher who carved through New York on that final day of March, then as a reliever and now as a starter. But New York ended Means’ return in the fourth inning and added on from there in an 14-2 victory at Camden Yards, marking the 12th consecutive time the Yankees have beaten the Orioles since that series-ending defeat.
It was New York’s 15th straight win at Camden Yards.
The latest drubbing followed the same formula of many of the previous ones. The Yankees blasted five more home runs off Orioles pitchers to set the record for most home runs off an opponent in a season. New York’s quintet brought them to 52 off the Orioles with four games left to play in the season series, coming next week at Yankee Stadium.
The game also feature a dugout dust-up with Chris Davis leaving the game in the fifth inning after an apparent argument with manager Brandon Hyde.
That’s where Means first flashed his increased velocity and improved changeup March 31, striking out five while limiting the Yankees to one run in 3 1/3 innings of relief. He built on that performance and turned it into a spot in the Orioles’ rotation and eventually a spot on the American League All-Star team.
Wednesday, he struck out five of seven Yankees through two innings with 13 swinging strikes. Seven came on his changeup, surpassing his previous high for whiffs through two innings with that pitch alone. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters before allowing three straight hits in the fourth. Cameron Maybin blooped an RBI single among center fielder Stevie Wilkerson, right fielder Trey Mancini and second baseman Jonathan Villar on a ball that had a 7% percent chance of being a hit, per Statcast.
A batter later, Kyle Higashioka hit a hanging 0-2 curveball over the center field fence for a two-out, three-run home run. The blast matched this year’s Yankees with the 1956 version for the most home runs against an opponent in a season.
Means walked the next batter, and with him facing a limited pitch count in his return from the injured list, Hyde pulled him after 80 pitches. Means has a 7.11 ERA in four second-half starts.