Torres Hits 2 Of Yanks' 4 HRs, NY Tops O's 5-3 To Open DH
NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres hit two of the Yankees' four home runs, and New York beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Gary Sánchez and Cameron Maybin also homered for the Yankees, who rank near the middle of the pack power-wise this season after slugging a record 266 homers last year. New York has won 19 of 26 games to move a season-high nine games over .500 at 25-16 despite currently having 13 players on the injured list.
Orioles starter David Hess (1-5) allowed a career-high four homers but completed six innings on 89 pitches. He was charged with five runs, four earned, with six hits and six strikeouts.
Yankees left-hander J.A. Happ (3-3) was pulled after 5 1/3 innings and 64 pitches. He allowed three runs and five hits, including solo homers to Trey Mancini and Renato Nuñez.
Following scoreless relief from Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances.
The Orioles entered with 84 homers allowed through 40 games, by far the most in the majors. That put them on pace to give up 340 for the season, which would smash the record of 258 by the 2016 Cincinnati Reds.
Playing a single-admission doubleheader after rainouts Monday and Tuesday, the Yankees filled the seats with souvenirs before most fans had arrived.
Sánchez launched one over the bullpen in right-center in the first to tie it at 1 following Mancini's shot in the top of the inning. It was Sánchez's 12th homer of the season, best among big league catchers.
After Baltimore got another run, Torres and Maybin each went deep in the second for a 3-2 lead.
Nuñez hit a tying solo shot in the fourth, but Torres went deep again leading off the bottom half, hooking a ball narrowly over the fence in the left-field corner. It's Torres' second multihomer game this season and fourth of his career.
New York entered the game with 57 homers, tied with three teams for 10th in the majors. This was the Yankees' fourth game with at least four homers this season, and three have come against Baltimore, including a seven-homer, 15-3 win on April 7.
Austin Wynns doubled in a run and had two hits for Baltimore. The catcher was a teammate of injured Yankees star Aaron Judge at Fresno State.
Game 1 wrapped in a tidy 2 hours, 12 minutes.
FRESH REINFORCEMENTS
With its injuries piling up, New York acquired veteran slugger Kendrys Morales from the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday as a short-term solution at DH. Morales was en route to the Bronx prior to Game 1, and the Yankees hoped to activate him for the second game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Evan Phillips was brought up as the team's 26th man.
Yankees: 3B Miguel Andújar has not decided yet whether he'll have surgery to repair a small labrum tear in his right shoulder. ... LHP James Paxton (left knee inflammation) felt good a day after throwing a bullpen session. He'll throw off a mound again Friday. ... OF Giancarlo Stanton (left shoulder strain) and SS Didi Gregorius (Tommy John surgery) took 11 plate appearances each in extended spring training. Gregorius said he expects to play shortstop in extended spring games beginning Monday.
UP NEXT
In the second game, Yankees RHP Domingo Germán (7-1) tried to extend his major league wins lead against Baltimore RHP Andrew Cashner (4-1).
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