Yanks return to home run-hitting tendencies
Camden Yards felt vast with the backdrop of an empty ballpark for the Orioles’ home opener Wednesday night, with the coronavirus pandemic altering one of the rare days the stadium feels crowded and cozy.
The visiting Yankees, of course, have a way of making the ballpark feel quite small these days. The unscheduled guests came into Camden Yards on Wednesday and resumed their predilection for hitting home runs out of it at an unprecedented rate in a 9-3 Orioles loss.
The second pitch Asher Wojciechowski threw in the game after a lengthy, madefor-television pregame ceremony was hit onto the right field flag court for a home run by DJ LeMahieu. Catcher Pedro Severino was charged with catcher interference twice for putting his glove in the path of a pair of swings, and the Orioles (2-2) were fortunate to get back to the dugout trailing 2-0.
Leadoff man Austin Hays walked and scored from first on a double by the hot-hitting José Iglesias, but that was all the Orioles would muster for a while against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Their next hit came in the seventh inning.
By then, they already trailed mightily. Third-inning home runs by Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks made it 5-1, and while Wojciechowski settled in to complete five innings, reliever Evan Phillips walked two in the sixth and watched each runner come around to score.
The Orioles pulled back with an aggressive spell against Cole in the seventh: Renato Núñez doubled, Dwight Smith Jr. hit a home run, and then Severino doubled on three consecutive pitches to make it 7-3 and chase Cole.
Cole, though was masterful between the Orioles’ fits of offense. The richest freeagent pitcher in baseball history struck out seven Orioles in his second win of the season.
After the Orioles took two of three games from the Yankees in the opening series of 2019, the Yankees have won the last 17 meetings.
Army strong
An Orioles bullpen that’s always looking for consistency got a strong outing from Shawn Armstrong, who made his season debut and retired all six Yankees he faced on 20 pitches.
Cody Carroll, who did not record an out on Opening Day on Friday in Boston, recorded one out and was charged with two runs in the ninth inning.
Iglesias leaves early
Iglesias, who made the final out of the sixth inning on a groundout and at that point had the Orioles’ only hit, was replaced for the top of the seventh inning by Pat Valaika. No reason for the substitution was given.