Yankees 6, Orioles 1: Four-run first fuels first series win in a month

The last time that Luis Gil faced the Orioles, he gave up seven runs while recording just four outs. Today was the perfect response to wash his hands of that nightmare, Gil stacking consecutive outings of at least six innings, allowing just one run and one or fewer walks in each.

The rookie’s sterling effort allowed the big bats in the order to go to work. Austin Wells’ three-run blast in the first proved to be a powerful opening salvo, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge went back-to-back in the fifth, and the Orioles took their fifth straight loss, 6-1. The Yankees have now drawn even with their opponents atop the AL East standings with one game remaining in the first half.

Grayson Rodriguez had held the Yankees scoreless across 12 innings in his first two big league starts against New York, which made it particularly pleasing to see that streak put to bed in the very first inning. Alex Verdugo got things started with a 111-mph single to right, followed by an Aaron Judge walk and wild pitch to put runners on second and third with one out. Ben Rice struck out and immediately, thoughts cast back to the failure to score with runners on second and third with no outs at the beginning of the recent series finale loss to the Rays.

Thankfully, we did not get a repeat of that debacle, as Gleyber Torres singled up the middle to open the scoring. In fact, it was just the appetizer for the main course of the frame, Wells winning an impressive nine-pitch battle by destroying a hanging slider over the Flag Court and onto Eutaw Street in right for a three-run bomb.

It was Wells’ sixth homer of the year and second in his last three games, the lefty entering today’s contest with a 171 wRC+ over his last 14 appearances. This hot streak could not come at a better time with Jose Trevino hitting the 10-day IL with a right quad strain, and an extended run of starts is perhaps just what Wells needs to keep it rolling.

The second inning is where it all came unraveled for Gil last time against the O’s, but he made quick work of the bottom of the order with a pair of strikeouts. He then navigated around his lone walk of the afternoon in the third with another pair of punchies, this time of Adley Rutschman and Anthony Santander on a nasty pair of sliders. The lone blip came in the fourth, when Ryan O’Hearn led off with a triple that Verdugo almost caught before colliding hard with the wall in left. Colton Cowser and Austin Hays followed with a pair of two-out singles, but Gil stranded both in place and escaped with just one run allowed. He made quick work of the Orioles over the next two frames, setting them down in order bother times and finishing his outing with a flourish by striking out Jordan Westburg and Ryan Mountcastle to end the sixth.

This was one of the most encouraging outings from Gil I can remember, and not just because he exorcised his Baltimore demons. You could see the study he put in between starts, as there was a clear game plan against this dangerous Orioles lineup. Gil went slider-heavy his first turn through the order before attacking hitters at the top of the zone with the four-seamer his second time through.

The progress of the slider over the last two starts is perhaps the most exciting aspect. It had been an afterthought for Gil during his first 17 outings but there seems to be a renewed focus on the pitch to help get him out of his mini slump. I wonder if he’s been tinkering with the pitch in the lab between starts, the pitch exhibiting two more inches of lateral movement over the last two games vs. its season average. Whatever the case, it’s working, with Gil tallying 10 of his 15 strikeouts on the slider between this game and last. He ended his day going six strong, allowing a run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 3.17.

After a quiet second, third, and fourth innings, the pair of All-Stars atop the Yankees order decided that Gil needed a couple more runs of insurance. Soto demolished a solo shot just to the right of dead center — his 23rd of the year to tie for third in the AL — and five pitches later Judge went back-to-back just left of dead center — his league-leading 34th of 2024, That’s the most before the All-Star break in franchise history.

Both blasts left the bat at 113 mph, both traveled over 425 feet, and both came against the changeup. It is a pitch that has bedeviled the Yankees this year and one that has spearheaded Rodriguez’s success to this point this season, but both sluggers were ready for it.

From there, the game wound to a comparatively action-less finish. Gleyber Torres added a double in the fifth and single in the seventh to give him a three-hit day while both Soto and Judge clubbed doubles in the later innings to achieve multi-hit efforts. Yankees relievers Tim Hill and Jake Cousins combined for three scoreless to seal the victory, 6-1, and hand the Orioles their fifth consecutive loss. It ties a season-high losing streak — Baltimore scoring just four runs across those five contests — and means both teams will be playing for sole possession of the division lead tomorrow.

Carlos Rodón looks to set the Yankees on course for a crucial sweep against Dean Kremer in the first-half finale. First pitch is scheduled for 11:35am ET with the free broadcast on Roku.

Box Score