New York Falls To Baltimore Despite Aaron Judge's Second Home Run Of The Season

The series opener between New York and Baltimore at Yankee Stadium was pretty much a pitchers duel between New York's  Japanese right -hander Masahiro Tanaka and Baltimore's right-hander Andrew Cashner before the late innings of the game Thursday.

Masahiro Tanaka had cruised all night, but as he snapped off a seventh-inning slider that looked a little too inviting, he figured there was a "50-50" chance that Adam Jones was about to change his fortune. This time, the coin flip did not come up in the Yankees' favor. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

We didn't have anything conclusive on video, but I'm not going to take the challenge to bed with me," Boone said. "Gardy, even when he came back, he said it clipped his knuckle barely. Usually as a hitter, that's something you feel."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

Jones banged Tanaka's offering over the left-center-field wall, and the Orioles continued to hack in a five-run frame -- their biggest outburst of the season -- to snap a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

"Obviously there is a lot of frustration there," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "That's the inning that you don't want to give up a run. I was able to manage to grind through six innings with some good defense behind me, but just to give up a homer like that, especially after us scoring a run -- it's disappointing." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

Aaron Judge continued to pound Baltimore pitching, breaking up a taut duel between Tanaka and Andrew Cashner by homering in the sixth, but the Bombers managed just three other hits against Cashner and three relievers."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

e kept us off-balance the whole night, righties and lefties," Judge said. "We just weren't able to jump on him early. We couldn't get anything going." according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

After Jones' two-run blast, Anthony Santander knocked a run-scoring double and Trey Mancini chased home two runs with a single to help the O's bat around, securing their third victory in 11 games at Yankee Stadium since the beginning of the 2017 season."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

Cashner picked up his first win with the Orioles, spinning six innings of one-run ball while improving to 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his career against the Bombers. With a 10-inning scoreless streak snapped by Jones' homer, Tanaka took the loss, charged with three runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

"With this team especially, the Orioles, they're pretty good at taking advantage of mistakes with slug," manager Aaron Boone said. "Tip your cap to Adam Jones. He got him. I don't think it really takes away from how good Masa was again tonight." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
For the Birds: Judge's domination of Orioles pitching carried over into the new season, with his sixth-inning shot off Cashner. It was the slugger's 12th against Baltimore, his most against any team. It was Judge's 58th homer in 189 career games, making him the fastest player in Major League history to reach the mark. Last season, Judge hit .426/.588/1.049 in 19 games against the O's. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

Breaking the string: Tanaka had retired 10 straight Orioles heading into the seventh inning, but the outing turned quickly. Schoop singled and Jones hit a deep drive to left field that carried over a leaping Giancarlo Stanton for a two-run homer. Two batters later, Tanaka's night was over and the O's carried on against Chad Green, scoring three more runs."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

"He missed some spots with his fastball down in the zone," Boone said of Green. "Usually, he's really good at the top of the zone with mixing in his slider. He missed on the plate and they put so "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

Hit, but no hits: Darren O'Day pitched into trouble in the eighth inning, hitting Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez back-to-back to load the bases. That brought up Walker representing the potential go-ahead run. After a mound visit, O'Day watched Neil Walker connect with three foul balls before getting him to tap an 87.1-mph fastball back to the mound, ending the inning and stranding three runners. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

"I still feel like we're grinding pitchers down a little bit," Boone said. "Baltimore has got a good bullpen, too. We really made them work hard for everything, but they got us tonight." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Mancini was called out at home plate following a first-inning review, having been initially ruled safe by umpire Ron Kulpa. Jones ripped a two-out double past third baseman Miguel Andujar, with Mancini dashing around from first base. Gregorius fired a strong relay throw from medium-depth left field, which was snared by Sanchez and applied to Mancini's thigh an instant before his left hand touched home plate. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

me good at-bats against him in that inning. Just one of those bumps along the way for him." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

In the eighth inning, Brett Gardner adamantly declared that he was hit on the hand by an O'Day pitch, convincing Boone to challenge the ruling on the field. After a brief review, the call of no hit-by-pitch was confirmed. Gardner made it to first base anyway, working a walk later in the at-bat. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

We didn't have anything conclusive on video, but I'm not going to take the challenge to bed with me," Boone said. "Gardy, even when he came back, he said it clipped his knuckle barely. Usually as a hitter, that's something you feel." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-cant-slow-orioles-in-series-opener/c-270985254

With the loss New York drops to 4-3 on the regular season and is in second place in the American League East behind Boston who is leading the division. Meanwhile with the win Baltimore improves to 2-5 on the season and is fourth in the division. 

WHAT'S NEXT
The series continues on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET as veteran Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia takes the ball for his first home start of the season. Sabathia lasted 84 pitches in his first start on March 31 at Toronto, permitting two runs (one earned) and five hits over five innings. The veteran was hit hard by the O's last year, allowing 14 earned runs and 23 hits in 17 innings for a 7.41 ERA."according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

He will face Baltimore right-hander Kevin Gausman. Gausman allowed three homers in a four-inning outing that resulted in six runs and a loss to the Twins in his debut on Sunday. He'll have to find a way to pitch better in New York, as he allowed 12 runs in two starts at Yankee Stadium in 2017. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy