Yankees at Orioles
The New York Yankees are well on their way to a third straight season series victory over the Baltimore Orioles, relying heavily on the bats of Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez to dominate their American League East rival. The Yankees set their sights on a sixth straight win versus the Orioles and hope to improve to 8-2 against them this year when they meet for the second of four games in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Torres and Sanchez combined for three home runs and six RBIs on Monday, doing the bulk of their damage to dig New York out of an early 6-1 hole and send it to a 10-7 win in the series opener. The 22-year-old Torres is 17-for-35 with eight blasts - including three multi-homer performances - and 10 RBIs against the Orioles this season, while the 26-year-old Sanchez is 11-for-34 with eight shots and 14 RBIs. Hanser Alberto collected a career-high four hits as part of an inspired effort by the Orioles, who outhit the Yankees 13-11 but could not avoid their ninth straight home loss in the all-time series. Baltimore owns the worst team ERA in the major leagues (5.63) and has been particularly porous recently, giving up at least 10 runs in three of its last five contests.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, YES (New York), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Domingo German (8-1, 2.50 ERA) vs. Orioles RH David Hess (1-5, 5.58)
German added to his major league-leading victory total with Wednesday's strong performance against Baltimore, permitting one run on six hits and a walk while recording eight strikeouts over seven innings. The 26-year-old has won each of his last five outings and yielded fewer than two runs in half of his eight overall turns. Rio Ruiz (2-for-4) and Jonathan Villar (2-for-6) are the only Orioles with multiple hits against German, who also defeated Baltimore in Camden Yards when he allowed two runs over six frames on April 7.
Hess has not recorded a quality start since firing 6 1/3 hitless innings at Toronto on April 1 and has struggled with the long ball since then, giving up a major league-high 14 blasts. He dropped his fifth straight decision on Wednesday opposite German after surrendering a career-high four homers in six frames at New York. Torres (3-for-7, three homers) and Sanchez (3-for-7, two) have thrived against Hess, who has served up seven home runs in his two starts against the Yankees this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Torres (22 years, 158 days) on Monday became the youngest player in team history to record five multi-homer performances - four of which have come against the Orioles.
2. Baltimore has surrendered 97 home runs - 15 more than any other team.
3. New York OF Giancarlo Stanton (shoulder) began his rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa on Monday by going 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two strikeouts in his first game action since March 31.