Field Level Media
May 15, 2021
Gio Urshela capped a nine-pitch at-bat by hitting a go-ahead pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees beat the host Baltimore Orioles 5-4 Friday night.
Urshela did not start the game due to some swelling in his knee but when Miguel Andujar and Kyle Higashioka reached with one out, he batted for Tyler Wade.
After fouling off four straight pitches from Travis Lakins Sr. (1-4), Urshela lifted a 2-2 cutter just over the right-center field fence. It was Urshela's fifth homer of the season and second career homer as a pinch hitter.
Aaron Judge homered in consecutive at-bats for the Yankees, who are 15-6 since April 22 and played without Gleyber Torres (COVID-19), Giancarlo Stanton (left quad) and Aaron Hicks (left wrist). Judge recorded his third multi-homer game of the season and 13th of his career.
Urshela homered after the Orioles scored three times in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead off Corey Kluber (3-2).
Pedro Severino and Trey Mancini sandwiched RBI doubles around a run-scoring single by Pat Valaika.
Austin Hays also homered for the Orioles, who lost for the eighth time in 11 games and dropped to 5-14 at home.
Kluber allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings to win his third straight decision. He struck out six, walked two and threw 85 pitches.
Chad Green stranded Cedric Mullins in a scoreless seventh and Wandy Peralta breezed through a perfect eighth. Peralta allowed a base hit to DJ Stewart to start the ninth before Jonathan Loaisiga came on.
Loaisiga got Maikel Franco to bounce into a double play and retired Severino for his second career save.
Baltimore's Dean Kremer allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out four, walked none and threw 77 pitches.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead two batters in when Judge hit a 2-2 curveball into the left field seats. After Hays homered in the bottom of the first, Judge gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning by hitting a 2-1 fastball that just cleared the right-center field fence.
--Field Level Media