Orioles Top Yankees 5-3
NEW YORK (AP) -- Gold Glove shortstop J.J. Hardy bounced a routine throw for his first error this season. All-Star Adam Jones flung his bat and helmet after chasing strike three. Nate McLouth ran through a stop sign and was an easy out at the plate.
A messy game for the Baltimore Orioles and yet, a winning one.
Nolan Reimold, Ryan Flaherty and Nick Markakis hit solo home runs, sending the Orioles over the Yankees 5-3 Saturday and stopping New York's four-game winning string.
"They don't dwell on past things, good or bad," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "That's one of the characteristics of our club."
McLouth doubled twice, singled and made a nifty catch in left field to back Jason Hammel (2-1).
Reimold provided a rare boost from the DH slot. Baltimore designated hitters had managed a mere single and zero RBIs in 33 at-bats going into the game until Reimold homered in the fourth. It was a loud shot from the ninth-place hitter, with the crack of the bat reverberating around Yankee Stadium.
Batting eighth, Flaherty launched a longball that was equally unexpected. He was 1 for 18 with a single this year before his home run in the second. Markakis led off the third by connecting against the homer-prone Hughes.
"We have a great lineup, one through nine. Anyone can hit the ball out of the ballpark," Markakis said. "I'd stack our lineup up against anybody's."
The Yankees' lineup had a new look, too. Robinson Cano shifted to shortstop for the ninth inning, the first time the Gold Glove second baseman has played any other position in the majors.
With Derek Jeter injured, Eduardo Nunez sitting out a day after being hit by a pitch and starting shortstop Jayson Nix leaving for a pinch-hitter in the eighth, Cano moved over. He didn't get any plays in the field.
"I was ready," Cano said. "I take groundballs over there with Jeter and with Nunez, joking around and serious."
Hammel allowed two earned runs and eight hits in six innings. Orioles relievers Brian Matusz, Darren O'Day and Jim Johnson each pitched a scoreless inning. Johnson closed for his fifth save, shutting down a team that tagged him in last year's AL playoffs.
Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells hit solo homers for the Yankees. Phil Hughes (0-2) was booed off the mound after giving up three long drives in three-plus innings.
Two innings after he appeared to coast around the bases and was caught at home, McLouth atoned.
Down 5-2 in the fourth, the Yankees put two runners on with one out. Lyle Overbay hit a long liner to the opposite field, but McLouth hurried back, stuck up his glove and made the catch on a tough ball.
Hardy also made a nice recovery.
In the second, he fielded Francisco Cervelli's two-out grounder but bounced his throw for a two-base error. Overbay blooped an RBI single over Hardy's head -- as the next batter stepped in, Hardy took off his glove, slapped his hand against the mitt and scuffed at the dirt.
Hardy had an RBI grounder the next inning for a two-run lead.
Hughes never looked comfortable, and taking Matt Wieters' hard one-hopper off his body on a chilly afternoon didn't help, either. Slowed in spring training by a bulging disk in his back, Hughes lost his season debut last weekend after coming off the disabled list to start at Detroit.
Reliever David Phelps kept the Yankees close, giving up one hit in four shutout innings and striking out six.
NOTES: Nunez left Friday night's game after being hit by a pitch in the right wrist. The Yankees said he was OK. ... Orioles RHP Steve Johnson (lat strain) pitched three innings and LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (elbow surgery) threw two innings at extended spring training. "It was a big day to get through," Showalter said. ... Baltimore LHP Wei-Yin Chen starts Sunday night against Yankees RHP Hiroki Kuroda. ... Yankees RHP Chien-Ming Wang threw the equivalent of 5 2-3 scoreless innings against the Pirates in his second extended spring training game. He said he felt close to being ready to pitch in a regular minor league game. ... The Yankees and Indians will play a traditional doubleheader on May 13 in Cleveland to make up for a pair of recent rainouts.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
