Yankees bullpen shuts down Orioles to avoid sweep in series finale with 5-2 win

Coming into Sunday afternoon’s contest with the Baltimore Orioles in a game that Joe Girardi dubbed as “the most important game of the season,” the Yankees were looking to avoid the sweep. The Yankees sent Michael Pineda to the mound in search of his seventh win of the season as he was opposed by Wade Miley who entered play with a 1-3 record with a 7.14 ERA in six starts with the Orioles. Pineda would throw just 87 pitches across four plus innings before his ineffectiveness led to him being lifted in favor of Luis Severino. Severino was first in line in the Yankee bullpen that would shut down the Orioles on Sunday afternoon in a 5-2 win.

Photo Credit: Nick Wass | AP

After failing to score in the first two games of the series, the Yankees wasted no time getting on the board in the series finale, putting up a three-spot in the top of the first inning. Miley walked the first two batters of the game in Brett Gardner and Rob Refsnyder to give the Yankees a great scoring opportunity that they would not pass up. Miley battled back to strike out Gary Sanchez and Starlin Castro, but with two outs, Chase Headley blooped in a single to score Gardner. A wild pitch moved Refsnyder to third and Headley to second before scoring on a single in the hole by Austin Romine.

Chase Headley drove home his second run of the game in the third inning on an infield single that Manny Machado could not quite make the play on as a low throw got past Chris Davis at first. Refsnyder would score on the play.

Michael Pineda got himself into some trouble in the bottom of the fourth after allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach on a walk and a single by Chris Davis which moved Mark Trumbo to third base. Steve Pearce then grounded into a fielder’s choice scoring Trumbo for the Orioles’ first run of the game. Pineda limited the damage to just one run though as he wiggled out of any further trouble.

Michael Pineda came out for the fifth inning and allowed a lead off single to Adam Jones. The ensuing hitter Pedro Alvarez then took a pitch down the left field line against the shift scoring Jones from first to plate the Orioles' second run of the afternoon. That was it for Pineda as he would exit after just four innings pitched.

Luis Severino came on in relief for Pineda in the fourth inning. Severino would get Machado to strike out before walking back-to-back batters to load the bases. However, Severino would get out of the bases loaded, one out jam with a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. He pitched a three-up, three-down sixth inning before being relieved by Tommy Layne in the seventh, who would face one batter getting Alvarez to pop out to left. Adam Warren retired the next two hitters getting them to fly out to left field and center field, respectively.

Tyler Clippard entered for the eighth inning and allowed a lead off single to Chris Davis. He then struck out Pearce and Matt Wieters before being lifted for Dellin Betances for a four-out save. Betances enduced a Jonathan Schooop groundout to move the game to the ninth inning.

Tyler Austin led off the ninth inning with a deep fly to right that hit off the glove of Trumbo for a two-base error. Ronald Torreyes then bunted Austin to third base before a deep fly by from Gardner scored him to put the Yankees ahead 5-2.

Betances sat the Orioles down in order in the ninth inning on two strikeouts to secure the Yankees 5-2 victory.

Win: Luis Severino (2-8, 6.79 ERA): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K

Loss: Wade Miley (1-4, 5.52 ERA): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 4 K

Save: Dellin Betances (8)

Notables:

Rob Refsnyder: 1-2, BB, 2 R

Chase Headley: 2-3, 2 RBI, R

Austin Romine: 1-2, 2 RBI

Michael Pineda: 4.0+ IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 4 K
Yankee bullpen: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Adam Jones: 2-4, R
Chris Davis: 2-3, BB

Article by: Chad Raines

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