By Zachary McMahon-
The Baltimore Orioles hosted the New York Yankees in the final game of the first half of the MLB season on Sunday Afternoon, as they were the MLB Sunday Leadoff game on Roku. The Orioles were trying to avoid the sweep in the hands of the Yankees, as the series provided fireworks with the benches clearing on Friday.
Dean Kremer started for the Orioles and went 4 ⅔ innings, and allowed four hits, two earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts. Carlos Rodon only went four innings for the Yankees, also allowing four hits and two earned runs along with three walks, and seven strikeouts.
Trent Grisham drove in the first run of the game on a RBI single in the second inning. Then, 2024 Home Run Derby participant Gunnar Henderson hit his 28th home run of the season, on a two-run shot in the third.
Henderson at the leadoff spot his his 27th of the season, which is tied for the most home run out of the leadoff sport in the team’s first 96 games of a season, which is shared with Mookie Betts, who did it for the Dodgers last season and George Springer who did it George Springer did it with the 2017 Houston Astros.
Also, he is tied for second most home runs by a shortstop in the first 96 games of the season. Tying Ernie Banks who accomplished this feat in 1960 for the Chicago Cubs. Leading the pack is Alex Rodriguez who hit 31 in the same span in 2002 with the Texas Rangers.
Grisham tied it back up in the fifth while Anthony Santander gave the Orioles back the lead in the bottom half, as the Orioles lead 3-2 at the end of the inning.
Ben Rice had a huge homer for his sixth of his career in the top of the ninth that gave the Yankees the lead 5-3 after walks to Grisham and Oswaldo Cabrera, all before there was a single out. Craig Kimbrel who’s the active career saves leader with 440, blew his fifth save opportunity of the season, and now the last two being against the Yankees as he blew it on an Orioles extra innings win on June 19, finished the rest of the inning unscathed including a strikeout to Aaron Judge.
It was an interesting bottom half of the ninth for the Orioles offense as Kyle Stowers, pinch hitting for Jorge Mateo, who hit two singles in the game, leading off with a single, while Colton Cowser grounded into fielder’s choice on a chopper to second, as Stowers was out at second, but Cowser beat the throw at first. Clay Holmes walked pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn, and Henderson struck out looking.
With just one out in the game however, here’s when the Yankees blew the game, as Adley Rutschmann walked to make it bases loaded. Anthony Volpe made a crucial error when he tried to get Rutschmann out to end the game, and Cowser scored on the error.
Then, when Cedric Mullins hit it to left, Alex Verdugo tripped up trying to get the ball and just like that the Orioles won the game as two runs came in to seal the 6-5 victory for the Orioles.
Baltimore was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and 2-for-22 in the series, with one of those hits being the Mullins walk-off double. The victory will snap a five-game losing streak for the Orioles as they got swept by the Chicago Cubs from Tuesday-Thursday.
After the game, the Yankees activated Scott Effross from the 60-day injured list, while they sent him down to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, while designating Cody Morris for assignment, and sending Jorbit Vivas down two days after he was called up, after he did not make a single appearance to make his major league debut. Effross as been on the injured list since he got Tommy John surgery in 2022, as he missed the 2022 postseason and the entire 2023 season, and then had back surgery in December that caused him to spend more months on the injured list.
Morris has been called up twice to the Yankees this season, but has yet to make an appearance in a Yankees uniform, as he spent his first two years in the major leagues on the Cleveland Guardians, as he was traded in the offseason for Estevan Florial, who’s was DFA’d on May 31 and has since spent time at Triple-A Columbus.
The Orioles will be sending five to the all-star break, as ace Corbin Burnes will be starting for the American League, and Rutschmann and Henderson are both starting. Jordan Westburg and Anthony Santander are both injury replacements for Rafael Devers and Kyle Tucker respectively.
Meanwhile, Juan Soto, Judge, and Holmes will all be traveling to Arlington for the All-Star game for the Yankees.
Next weekend, the five Orioles will be staying in Arlington, as the rest of the team will be traveling to face the Texas Rangers, while the Yankees will be hosting the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.
Sports Insider Daily 