Cedric Mullins delivered a decisive single in the 10th inning and scored on a throwing error, helping the Baltimore Orioles secure a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees in a thrilling finish on Wednesday night.
After losing the first game of the series against the top-ranked American League teams, the Orioles bounced back and improved their record to 4-2 against the Yankees this season. Baltimore, now 19-7 against division opponents, moved within 1 1/2 games of New York in the AL East standings.
Manager Brandon Hyde praised his team’s resilience, saying, “It’s a significant win. I’m really pleased with how we battled and competed. Despite losing the lead, our offense continued to fight, which says a lot about our club.”
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole returned from an elbow injury to make his season debut, allowing two runs over four-plus innings. He was close to taking his first loss since August 19 last year until Giancarlo Stanton’s late heroics.
Stanton hit a three-run homer off All-Star reliever Yennier Cano in the seventh inning, cutting Baltimore’s lead to 5-4. In the ninth, Stanton tied the game with a powerful RBI single off closer Craig Kimbrel.
“It was an incredible game. Truly,” remarked Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Kimbrel, despite his fourth blown save of the season in 20 opportunities, saw the Orioles bounce back.
Mullins, who started the game batting .188, hit a crucial RBI single off Clay Holmes in the 10th inning. His hit scored Anthony Santander from second base with one out. Mullins then advanced to third on the throw to home plate and capitalized on a high throw by catcher Jose Trevino to score easily.
