BALTIMORE – On the verge of an overwhelming defeat Wednesday, the Yankees tapped Tyler Wade and Brett Gardner in the top of the ninth to beat the Orioles again.
Gardner’s two-run single in the top of the ninth gave the Yankees the lead, and they stayed at the bottom of the inning to beat Baltimore, 4-3, at Camden Yards and keep pace in the race. of wildcards of the AL.
Aroldis Chapman, throwing a third straight day, withdrew his team in order at the end of the inning as the Yankees won their third in a row after falling eight again.
It allowed the Yankees to stay tied in the wildcard standings with the Blue Jays and percentage points ahead of the Red Sox, who both won Wednesday.
The Yankees had deep problems after another error by Gleyber Torres lengthened the bottom of the eighth before Chad Green gave up a home run in a third straight appearance later in the inning to put the Yankees in a hole in one throw.
But Baltimore collapsed in the ninth.
Luke Voit came out with a walk against Tyler Wells and was replaced by Wade, a pinch runner. Torres then played a single game and sent Wade to second place.
Gary Sanchez came out in the middle of the center and, with Gardner on the plate, the Yankees got a double steal: Wade hit the throw to third and Torres got the second.
Aaron Boone praised Wade’s “special” steal in third place, noting that Wells quickly went to the plate, Austin Wynns is a pickup with strong weapons and the Orioles were trying to keep Wade close.
He forced Baltimore to enter the playing field, and as the skies opened up, Gardner threw a single into the center to drive the two runners.
“This is the guy you want,” Wade said. “My heartbeat is very slow and it’s here tonight.”
“I missed out on some tough throws and was able to float a change on no man’s land, thankfully,” Gardner said.
The rally rescued fighters Green and Torres, who were both ugly eighth.
Green entered the seventh, with the Yankees maintaining a one-run lead and getting the last two outings.
On the eighth occasion, Green ceded a simple advantage to Wynns, and then got Cedric Mullins to hit a counter with Torres in the second.
Torres dropped it, but instead of gaining strength in the second, he inexplicably threw the first to get out (allowing Wynns to get to the second), adding to Torres’ poor run on the field that could end up ending his time. in the Bronx.
Green again destroyed Ryan Mountcastle and put Hays ahead 0-2 before Hays made it deep, giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead, briefly wasting a remarkable performance from Nestor Cortes Jr. a career maximum in 11 entries of 6 ¹ / ₃.
The Yankees were also victims of bad luck.
Sanchez almost gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead at the top of the second. After Torres left with two outs, Sanchez came out and fired a shot into the center that looked like a safe two-run man, but Mullins made an incredible jump on the wall to steal the Yankees receiver, leaving both teams in disbelief.
The Yankees burst in against Baltimore left-hander John Means in the third.
Gardner won with a single and Gio Urshela followed him with his 12th team of the season and first since July 4th.
Cortés retired early, at one point, he retired eight in a row before Pat Valaika played a single game in the fifth. Cortés, however, received help from Urshela later in the start.
Urshela, on the short spot with Torres after returning to second place, made a fantastic dive play to his right on a low line from Wynns to finish the entry.
Cortés looked imposing – or as powerful as a pitcher can be when he surpasses 93km / h – having allowed only two hits as he headed towards sixth.
“Now we’re ready,” Boone helps. “We’re in a battle with just over two weeks to go.”