Orioles bounce back, show plenty of fight in 5-4 win over Yankees
The Orioles overcame another big night from Aaron Judge and a dust up at second base for a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees.
The Orioles took a beating Tuesday with Kyle Gibson on the mound, but Baltimore entered tonight’s game with an opportunity to still take the series. The Birds flushed the blowout loss, overcame an early deficit, and showed plenty of fight in the rubber match against the Yankees.
Ryan Mountcastle delivered a two-run homer, Ramón Urías cleared the fence, and the bullpen backed up Cade Povich. Félix Bautista protected a one-run lead for the second time, and the Orioles held on for a 5-4 victory over the Yankees.
Oh yeah, the benches cleared too.
The fireworks came with the Orioles leading 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Heston Kjerstad led off the frame with a single to right, and he broke for second after Ramón Urías worked the count full. Urías chased a pitch low in the zone, but Yankee catcher Austin Wells sailed his throw to second.
New York second baseman Pablo Reyes jumped in an attempt to secure the ball, but he landed with Kjerstad’s head between his legs. The ball trickled away as Reyes landed. Reyes, either in an effort to catch his balance or fake a tag, placed his glove hand on Kjerstad’s back. Kjerstad popped up and took issue with what the MASN booth repeatedly described as a “push.”
Kjerstad may have had his feelings heightened after the Yankees fired a fastball at his head last season, and nobody could blame him for that. The benches cleared during a high-tempered moment last July, and the players stormed out of the dugout again tonight.
Jorge Mateo made a beeline to second and arrived first on the scene. Baltimore’s bullpen sprinted onto the field and reached the focal point far quicker than the average courtesy jog. Cooler heads eventually prevailed, and both teams returned to their benches without a punch or ejection.
Both Kjerstad and Brandon Hyde downplayed the moment after the game.
The Orioles could have used a zero in the first inning from Cade Povich, but the 25-year-old struggled early. Povich surrendered a one-out single to Trent Grisham before making a mistake to Aaron Judge. Povich hung a sweeper, and Judge launched it 426 feet from home plate. He managed to record one out before allowing a home run, but the blast still elicited a “here we go again” type of sigh.
