Yanks beat O’s 3-1, open 5 1/2-game lead for playoff berth
NEW YORK ( AP) — Gleyber Torres had tiebreaking, two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning for his first career pinch hit, lifting the Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 Sunday for a four-game sweep that consolidated New York’s playoff position.
Torres, given the day off from the starting lineup, is hitting .320 (8 for 25) with seven RBIs since returning from the injured list. He feasts on the Orioles, raising his average against them to .358 with 16 homers and 34 RBIs in 37 games. His drive off left- hander Tanner Scott went to the warning track in right-center and followed two-out singles by Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier off Dillon Tate (11). Frazier, who hit cleanup for the 16th straight game, reached on a grounder to the right side when Tate, covering first, missed the first base.
New York ( 26- 21) has won five in a row following a 5- 16 slide and has opened, a 5 1/2-game lead over the Orioles for the AL’s eighth and final playoff spot. Baltimore ( 2026), which took three of four from the Yankees last weekend at Camden Yards, has lost five straight overall and 10 in a row at Yankee Stadium. The young Orioles had gotten back in contention with six wins in eight games.
New York began the day a half- game behind the second-place Toronto Blue Jays, who start a series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
Five relievers combined for shutout, one-hit relief following J.A. Happ. Zack Britton ( 1- 2), the fourth Yankees reliever, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a perfect ninth for his second save.
Happ allowed five hits in five innings, giving up a second-inning home run to Renato Núñez, who has five off the left- hander. Happ lowered his ERA to 3.96 and remained unbeaten in six starts.