Gausman yanked after three in rubber match
O’s hottest starting pitcher struggles with command from outset
The Orioles were finally graced with a beautiful day for baseball and sent their hottest pitcher to the mound against the rival New York Yankees. But, well, that was about as good as Thursday was going to get.
Right-hander Kevin who had pitched 132⁄ scoreless innings over his previous two starts, gave up five runs in a hurry and the Yankees never looked back in a 9-1 rain-makeup victory before 14,946 at Camden Yards.
Though the Orioles (71-69) had fallen behind by five runs in Tuesday night’s dramatic latenight win, there would be no hint of a comeback this time. Yankees midseason acquisition
(9-9) was never in serious danger of losing his grip on the rubber game of the three-game series. He allowed no earned runs in 52⁄ innings.
Gausman (10-10) walked the first batter ( he faced, which turned out to be a sign of things to come. He struck out the next two batters, only to give up a run-scoring double to
and a mammoth two-run home run to rookie sensation that gave the Yankees an almost-instant three-run lead.
Things didn’t get better. The Yankees (75-64) scored two more runs off Gausman in the third and he did not come out for the fourth inning after needing 79 pitches to get through the first three. He walked a batter in each inning and gave up five hits.
“I wouldn’t say he didn’t have it,’’ manager said. “He had a couple of brokenbat singles. We talk a lot about winning the first inning. … Gardner had a big at-bat there and — you say there’s a bunch of outs, lot of game after that — but unless he could catch up an inning or two, it was going to be a challenge for him.
“I thought he had pretty good stuff. It just wasn’t his day.”
Gausman said he felt fine and gave credit to the Yankees for stretching him out with some tough at-bats at the outset.
“They just battled and fought off a lot of good pitches and obviously left a pitch up to Judge,’’ he said.
With a win, the Orioles would have completed a successful homestand that boosted them back into the thick of the American League wild-card race. Instead, they settled for a winning record (6-4) and left town on a sour note.
The first stop on a 10-game trip that will likely decide whether the Orioles remain in playoff contention is Cleveland to face the Indians, who entered their Thursday night game against the Chicago White Sox riding a 14-game winning streak. Hays’ debut: Top outfield prospect made his major league debut Thursday, playing an inning in the outfield and taking the final at-bat of the game. He hung in against Yankees reliever fouling off three pitches before grounding out on a close play at first base.