BALTIMORE — During a high-stakes midweek matchup, the Baltimore Orioles emerged victorious over the New York Yankees with a narrow 5-4 win on Wednesday night. The offensive charge for the Orioles was led by Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías, both of whom knocked home runs during a pivotal four-run second inning. Despite Aaron Judge’s formidable performance, which included three hits, the Orioles managed to claim two of the three games in this series against the AL East leaders. The victory came as a welcome turn of events for Baltimore, which managed a series split by edging out the Yankees in both the opener and the finale, although they faced a 15-3 defeat in the second game.
Bryan Baker registered the win, bringing his record to 2-0 as a key component of Baltimore’s bullpen, which saw six different arms take the mound. The victory was preserved by Félix Bautista, who delivered a flawless ninth inning, securing his fifth save by striking out Trent Grisham with a blistering 99.2 mph pitch, thus preventing Judge from another opportunity at the plate.
On the Yankees’ side, Carlos Carrasco struggled, conceding four runs on eight hits over just 3 1/3 innings. Mountcastle’s slugging turned around a tough 0-for-18 streak with a critical two-run homer to equalize the score at 2-2. Urías promptly followed with a solo homer, putting Baltimore ahead. An additional RBI single by Adley Rutschman capped off the productive inning.
The Orioles’ momentum saw minor setbacks; a fifth-inning home run by Paul Goldschmidt closed the gap for New York at 4-3. Nonetheless, aided by a crucial error by Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, which loaded the bases in the bottom half, Baltimore was able to recapture their two-run advantage.
Emotions ran high during the game; temper flared in the fourth inning when Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad stole second base. The resulting play involved an accidental collision that momentarily caused benches and bullpens to flood the field. Cooler heads prevailed after players briefly gathered around second base.
A pivotal moment unfolded in the seventh inning. With a Yankee runner on second and one out, Ramón Laureano heroically snagged a fly ball with a sliding catch deep in left-center field. Despite Judge’s subsequent RBI single, the Yankees were restricted to just one run that inning.
The statistical landscape for Baltimore appeared challenging; they had been outscored 46-14 in their last four home games, yet they managed to win twice during this stretch. Looking ahead, both teams have a day off on Thursday. The Yankees will send Max Fried, boasting a 5-0 record, to face Tampa Bay at home on Friday night. Meanwhile, the Orioles will kick off a series against Kansas City, with Dean Kremer (2-4) set to take the mound on the same evening.