Bronx, NY (Sports Network) – The good news for the Baltimore Orioles is that they opened and capped the scoring.
The bad news? The four runs the New York Yankees put up in the fourth inning to propel them to a 4-2 victory over the Orioles in the finale of a four-game series.
Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta (10-8) flirted with disaster by loading the bases in both the first and third innings. He managed to pitch out of both jams, but if you continue to play with fire…well, you know the rest.
The Yankees, trailing 1-0 on an infield RBI single by Adam Jones in the third, loaded the bases with nobody out in the next frame.
Eric Chavez walked, Russell Martin reached on shortstop J.J. Hardy’s fielding error and Eduardo Nunez singled. Brett Gardner followed by slapping a pitch down the first base line and into the right field corner for a three-run triple. Gardner eventually scored when Curtis Granderson grounded out softly to first base.
Baltimore got a run back in the sixth. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia (10-7) gave up a one-out single to Jones, who stole second base and came home on Vladimir Guerrero’s base hit to center field.
David Robertson recorded the final out in the seventh for New York and struck out the side in the eighth.
Mariano Rivera earned his 27th save with a flawless ninth.