For two years, it seemed that the Yankees could always find a way to defeat the Orioles in the Bronx.
And on Wednesday, it was only a matter of time before the Yankees finished 13th at home to Baltimore.
But a costly error by Gleyber Torres, a blocked shot allowed by Chad Green and a beautiful throw from Anthony Santander’s right field added a 4-3 loss, 11 innings for the Yankees.
Sisco’s only chance to leave Green in the 11th automatic runner marked Rio Ruiz from the third to put the Orioles in front for good.
Brett Gardner beat Gio Urshela in third place in the bottom 11, before DJ LeMahieu, with one out, picked up a flying ball on the small right. Urshela tried to score, but was sent off by Santander.
In the previous half, Green apparently got rid of problems when he made Pedro Severino reach Torres with Santander in the third and second. But Torres made another poor play and at first threw Jay Bruce. Bruce was unable to pick him up, and Santander scored the half after the error.
Before the match, manager Aaron Boone defended Torres’ performance in defense, after the shortstop made another wrong game on Tuesday.
Torres was saved at the bottom of the 10th inning when Kyle Higashioka turned right and Tyler Wade, a runner with his feet, entered the tie, but the Yankees failed to score. 11th.
This was followed by a run that went to the bottom of the eighth, after leaving nine runners standing, despite hitting the ball hard throughout the night.
But with two outside and no one uncovered, Gary Sanchez repeated on a left line, and the ball was misinterpreted by Ryan Mountcastle.
Sanchez was replaced by Mike Tauchman. This move paid off immediately when Urshela doubled to the center left and Tauchman ran home, right under Pedro Severino’s tag on the plate.
It tied the game at 2-2, and Gardner followed with a shot on the field, sending Urshela to third place, but LeMahieu landed to end the half.
Aroldis Chapman started the ninth after Nick Nelson, Darren O’Day and Jonathan Loaisiga combined for 3 innings without easy scores.
Chapman hit sideways in order.
The bullpen shone with relief from Jameson Taillon, who started his first start in almost two years, returning after a second surgery by Tommy John. He was great at starting the game, withdrawing his first nine fights, while the Yankees constantly threatened Baltimore left-hander John Means.
At the bottom of the first, Torres took a single walk and moved to third on Giancarlo Stanton’s single shot to center, but Clint Frazier lined up in the center for the final after LeMahieu and Aaron Hicks did the same more early in the half.
They entered the third.
Gardner opened with a single from the right, and LeMahieu followed with a liner in the middle, giving the Yankees runners the first and second with no one outside. After Torres blew, Hicks, who was struggling, gave another shot in the middle, leading Gardner home for the first round of the game. The rally ended when Stanton entered a double.
The Orioles equalized shortly after, while Cedric Mullins led the fourth with a long shot in the right field. He was the first striker to reach Taillon, who then beat Trey Mancini for the first out. But Santander followed and brought Taillon deep again, this time into the center-right Yankees bullpen to give Baltimore a 2-1 advantage.
Taillon was pulled off with two outs in the fifth, replaced by Nelson. Taillon allowed two runs and hit seven and did not walk a batter.
The Yankees tried to get Taillon out of the fifth, alone with Torres and Stanton – he measures 115 mph – outside of Means, but former Yankees prospect Dillon Tate did. Frazier to end the threat.
In the sixth, Sanchez doubled the left field line with a single exit and moved to the third with Urshela’s ball in the center, but was blocked when Gardner hit.
LeMahieu started the seventh with a shot, but Torres flew to the right, and Hicks and Stanton fluttered, hearing Stanton from the small crowd.