The New York Yankees accomplished something they had done only once before this season, beating the Orioles at Camden Yards, by scraping a 3-2 victory Saturday afternoon.
Rookie Shane Greene pitched in and out of trouble throughout his 5⅓ innings of work, allowing two runs on seven hits on an RBI single by All-Star outfielder Nelson Cruz and Steve Pearce's 17th home run of the season.
Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez allowed three runs on three hits, all in the second inning, but that was just enough for the Yanks to secure their 24th victory in one-run games (24-21).
Baltimore is Greener: Greene has earned the only two Yankees wins this season at Camden Yards, including a 3-0 shutout July 12. It was also the 22nd win this season by a Yankees rookie pitcher, the most ever in a single season in franchise history.
McCann can: Brian McCann hit his 19th homer of the season in the second inning off Gonzalez. It was the first run allowed by the right-hander in his past two starts. Yankees have now hit 14,994 home runs in franchise history since their inception in 1903 and need six home runs to reach 15,000.
It’s raining runs: After a delayed start at 1:40 p.m., Yankees scored more runs in the second inning of Saturday’s rainy affair than in 20 innings of the doubleheader the day before (one).
One for Antoan: Yankees took a 2-0 lead after rookie Antoan Richardson got his first career RBI with a liner to right field.
Seeing double: The Yankees executed a double steal in the second inning for their third run of the game, with Richardson stealing second and Chris Young stealing home. Young has now hit safely in each of his past six games, batting .416 (10-for-24) with six runs, four doubles, three homers and eight RBIs.
Speedy Gonzalez: Gonzalez threw 41 pitches over the first two innings and allowed three earned runs for the first time since Aug. 2 versus Seattle. The 31-year-old right-hander retired 11 straight Yankees after Richardson’s RBI single in the third.
Hold your horses: Shawn Kelley gave up a single to Adam Jones, and after Cruz just missed the center-field field fence for a two-run shot, he managed to retire Pearce and Hardy to end the eighth inning.
Tense moment: After Jimmy Paredes started the ninth with a hit off David Robertson, a perfect sac bunt by Ryan Flaherty put a runner on second with just one out. D-Rob then got Delmon Young and Nick Markakis to ground out and end the game with the tying run at third. Robertson has saved 36 out of 39.
Some real fireworks: The Blue Angels took to the skies for a spectacular air show as part of the Star-Spangled Spectacular, celebrating the 200th birthday of the national anthem, which will include a fireworks display over Fort McHenry and the Baltimore harbor. The high-speed jets could be seen and heard all throughout the game, drawing huge cheers from the crowd.
Attendance: 44,231 (second sellout of the series).
Sunday: The fourth and final game of the series matches right-handers Hiroki Kuroda (10-9, 3.91) and Chris Tillman (12-5, 3.36), with the first pitch of "Sunday Night Baseball" slated for 8:05 p.m. The Orioles will honor the soon-to-be retired Captain Derek Jeter before his last regular-season game at Camden Yards.