Orioles beat Yankees, 5-4, to snap skid

BALTIMORE—A slumping player on the worst team in the majors found his groove just in time to knock off the New York Yankees.

Danny Valencia snapped an 0-for25 skid with a three-run homer off CC Sabathia, and the Baltimore Orioles snapped a six-game skid with a 5-4 victory Monday in the opener of a doubleheader.

Mark Trumbo also homered for the Orioles, who improved to 25-65 and temporarily stalled the Yankees’ pursuit of first-place Boston in the AL East.

“The losses stink,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “We don’t have a lot of time to soak this one in. It’s get on to the next one right now.”

The Yankees were cruising with a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning when Sabathia (6-4) walked Trumbo and yielded a double to Jonathan Schoop. With the New York bullpen buzzing in an effort to get a reliever ready, Sabathia served up a 2-1 pitch that Valencia drove far over the center-field wall.

“To come through big with the home run there to put us ahead, it feels nice. Can’t deny that,” Valencia said.

It would be the final pitch for Sabathia, who allowed five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

“I think it was just a pitch that he knew was coming,” Sabathia said of the homer. “I probably should have went a different way right there.”

METS 4, PHILLIES 3, 10 INNINGS, 1ST GAME

NEW YORK—Wilmer Flores walked ‘em off again, connecting for a pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the New York Mets a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a twinight doubleheader Monday.

Asdrubal Cabrera also went deep for the Mets and hit an RBI double off the top of the right-center fence.

In the makeup of an April 2 game postponed by snow, Flores led off the 10th and nearly was hit on the arm by a pitch. In fact, he started toward first base and motioned toward the New York dugout to ask for a replay review when plate umpire Tom Hallion called ball three.

The call stood following the review—but Flores did one better. He drove the next delivery from Victor Arano (1-1) off the left-field foul pole for his fourth career game-ending homer and second this season.

That gave Flores 10 career walkoff RBIs, breaking a tie with David Wright for the most in Mets history.

Smiling teammates hopped over the dugout railing and swarmed Flores at home plate.