BRETT Gardner hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees beat the host Baltimore Orioles (4-3) on Wednesday night after blowing a one-run lead in the eighth.
Luke Voit opened the ninth off Tyler Wells (2-3) with a walk, and Gleyber Torres followed with a single. With one out, pinch runner Tyler Wade and Torres pulled off a double steal that was upheld via replay, and both scored when Gardner lifted a 1-2 slider into short left field after fouling off three consecutive pitches.
Shortstop Richie Martin ran out and attempted to make a diving catch, but had his back turned and the ball fell in just before he could make the catch.
Gardner’s clutch hit in the rain occurred after New York’s Chad Green was one strike away from preserving a 2-1 lead. Green allowed a two-run homer to Austin Hays that gave Baltimore a 3-2 lead, and Wandy Peralta (5-3) got the final out of the eighth after Green allowed his 14th homer in 60 appearances this season.
The homer was Hays’ second of the night and 20th of the season.
Aroldis Chapman, pitching for the third straight day, needed only eight pitches to toss a perfect ninth and convert his 27th save in 31 chances.
The Yankees (82-64) earned their third straight win after a 3-12 skid that followed their first 13-game winning streak since 1961. New York remains tied with the Toronto Blue Jays (82-64) and the Boston Red Sox (83-65) for the two American League wild card spots.
Baltimore (46-99) took its fifth straight loss.
Yankees starter Nestor Cortes, Jr. logged a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed one run and Hays’ solo homer among three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two.
Gio Urshela hit a two-run homer in the third, but the Yankees did little else offensively most of the night after tying a season high with five homers while winning the series opener on Tuesday.
Hays slugged a solo shot in the sixth before his two-run homer in the eighth.
Baltimore left-hander John Means allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two. — Reuters
