Gray, Yanks flop in loss to O’s
NEW YORK — Booed as he walked off the Yankee Stadium mound in the third inning, Sonny Gray smiled.
Moments later, third base coach Phil Nevin screamed at players in the New York dugout.
The Yankees headed to their four-game series at Fenway Park after perhaps their worst performance this season, a 7-5 defeat yesterday to the Baltimore Orioles, who have the worst record in the major leagues. And to Alex Cobb, who leads the big leagues in losses.
“We’re a lot better than what we did today,” Nevin said. “People have different ways of firing guys up. I think that was my first one this year, I guess.”
Gleyber Torres raised his homer total to 17 with a solo shot in the second and a three-run drive in the ninth, but the rookie second baseman also failed to cover first base on Caleb Joseph’s second-inning bunt and second on Renato Nunez’ third-inning grounder to shortstop, leading to hits both times.
Gray (8-8) may have lost his rotation spot after putting New York in a 7-1 deficit. Lance Lynn followed with 41⁄3 scoreless innings in his Yankees debut and first relief appearance since 2012, and manager Aaron Boone wouldn’t commit to staying with Gray.
“That’s something that we’ll talk about now in the hours ahead, days ahead about what our plans will be going forward,” Boone said.
On an afternoon that began with a partly sunny sky,
Gray left under dark clouds just before a 39-minute rain delay.
He tied his career high by allowing seven runs, giving up eight hits and two walks in 22⁄3 innings as his ERA rose to 5.56. Gray wiped his faced as he left the mound, adjusted his cap and then smirked when fans jeered.
“I’ve never been a guy to come off the field and throw a glove or a hat or punch something or do anything,” Gray said. “I’ve always been a mellow guy that tries to think things through and get over it.”
Gray is 12-15 with a 4.85 ERA since he was acquired from Oakland at last year’s trade deadline. His ERA this year is 7.71 at Yankee Stadium and 3.62 on the road.
“I’ve struggled. I don’t know if it has anything to do with New York, or it’s just strictly on the field,” he said.
New York dropped 51⁄2 games behind the Red Sox. This is the first time since the leagues split into divisions in 1969 that two teams in the same division began August with a winning percentage .640 or higher, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Boone, a laid-back Californian, understood the eruption by the extroverted Nevin.
“Over the course of the season you’re going to have outbursts from guys, from coaches, from me, whatever, so just emotion of the season, of the game,” the manager said.
First baseman Greg Bird said the lashing was needed.
“We were dragging a little bit today,” he said.
Baltimore, which traded six veterans for prospects in recent weeks, took a 5-0 lead in the second. Trey Mancini hit a run-scoring single, and Joseph reached on a bunt single as third baseman Miguel Andujar delayed his throw because Torres didn’t sprint to cover first.
Renato Nunez followed with a two-run double and Tim Beckham had a two-run single.
Torres led off the bottom half with his first home run since July 1, and Cobb (3-14) struck out Giancarlo Stanton to end the inning, leaving the Yankees 0-for-15 with four sacrifice flies in their last 19 plate appearances with the bases loaded.