Formidable effort despite falling short
Cashner solid on hill, but O’s offense can’t back him
NEW YORK — Since struggling in his opening-day start at Yankee Stadium, Orioles right-hander Andrew Cashner has generally been a much more formidable pitcher.
Back in the Bronx ballpark for the first time since that first start, Cashner’s strong six innings weren’t enough to outduel Domingo Germán in a 3-1 defeat in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees.
But by continuing his run of success, Cashner further established himself as a worthwhile potential trade piece for the Orioles as contenders become desperate for starting pitching.
With six innings of two-run ball Wednesday, Cashner has a 3.25 ERA in eight starts since opening day, going at least five innings in all but one start and at least six innings in four starts.
He struck out the first four Yankees he faced Wednesday before issuing a fourpitch walk to Kendrys Morales, who was making his New York debut after the Oakland Athletics designated him for assignment and entered 7-for-13 against Cashner with three home runs. A hard lineout from Clint Frazier preceded another strikeout.
Cashner regularly flexed high velocity in the first couple of frames, with his fastball exceeding 96 mph on occasion. He finished the outing with an average four-seamer velocity of 94.5 mph, his highest in a start this season.
He didn’t allow a hit the first time through New York’s lineup, and the Yankees’ first hit actually hit him.
DJ LeMahieu’s 104-mph drive bounced once before striking Cashner in the left wrist and ricocheting toward the thirdbase line, where Cashner couldn’t discover it in time to get the out. He bent at the waist, clearly in pain, as he was checked on by the Orioles’ medical staff. After a handful of warmup pitches, he remained in the game.
Yankees first baseman Luke Voit did not allow Cashner to resettle, smacking his next pitch to left-center for an RBI double to break the scoreless tie.
Falling behind 3-1in the count to the first batter he faced in the fourth, Cashner allowed a solo home run to Gleyber Torres, his third of the doubleheader. In 18 career games against the Orioles, Torres has nine home runs.
The Yankees would not harm Cashner again, however. A two-out single by Voit and another walk to Morales were the only baserunners he allowed after Torres’ home run.
Germán handles Orioles: For as well as Cashner pitched, he was outdone by Germán, the Yankees’ 26-year-old righthander. Germán retired the first eight Orioles before Joey Rickard doubled into left field. Germán won their most important meeting, though, getting Rickard to ground out with the bases loaded to complete his seven innings.
Germán finished with eight strikeouts and held the Orioles hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position; Baltimore finished the doubleheader 0-for-13 in such situations.
The Orioles’ only run against Germán came in the fifth, when Stevie Wilkerson and Rio Ruiz began the frame with consecutive singles off the right-field wall before Hanser Alberto hit a sacrifice fly to center.