BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías homered during Baltimore’s four-run second inning, and the Orioles held on for a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night despite three more hits by Aaron Judge.
Judge hit a two-run homer in the first, then added two singles to finish April with a .427 batting average, but the last-place Orioles managed to take two of three in this series with the AL East leaders. Baltimore won the opener and finale by a run each while losing the middle game 15-3.
Bryan Baker (2-0) won in relief, one of six bullen arms the Orioles used. Félix Bautista pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save, striking out Trent Grisham on a 99.2 mph pitch to leave Judge in the on-deck circle when the game ended.
Carlos Carrasco (2-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Mountcastle ended an 0-for-18 slump with a two-run shot that tied the game at 2, and then Urías put the Orioles ahead with a solo drive one out later. Adley Rutschman added an RBI single in the inning.
Paul Goldschmidt made it 4-3 with a fifth-inning homer off starter Cade Povich, but an error by shortstop Anthony Volpe helped the Orioles load the bases with nobody out in the bottom half and they restored the two-run lead.
Benches and bullpens cleared after Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad stole second. Second baseman Pablo Reyes had to leap to catch the throw and came down around Kjerstad’s head and neck area. There was quickly a large congregation of players around second but order was restored.
Key moment
With a man on second and one out in the seventh, Ramón Laureano made a sliding catch in deep left-center field. Judge followed with an RBI single, but New York only managed one run in the inning.
Key stat
The Orioles have been outscored 46-14 over their last four home games, but they were able to win two of them.
Up next
Both teams are off Thursday. The Yankees send Max Fried (5-0) to the mound Friday night at home against Tampa Bay. The Orioles host Kansas City that night, with Dean Kremer (2-4) starting for Baltimore.
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