BALTIMORE — Cedric Mullins hit a two-run double in the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday — after an error by shortstop Anthony Volpe kept the two-out rally going.
The Yankees actually made two defensive misplays in the ninth. Mullins’ liner appeared catchable, but left fielder Alex Verdugo started in at first and couldn’t recover well enough to prevent the ball from going over him.
Ben Rice hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth off Craig Kimbrel (6-2) to put the Yankees up 5-3, but New York’s closer couldn’t hold a lead either. Clay Holmes (1-4) allowed the Orioles to load the bases with two out. Then Ryan Mountcastle‘s grounder should have ended it, but Volpe’s error made it 5-4 and kept the bases loaded.
Mullins, who came on as a pinch-runner the previous inning, delivered the big hit that snapped Baltimore’s five-game winning streak and enabled the Orioles to take a one-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East into the All-Star break.
Baltimore went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and 2 for 22 in the series, but Mullins enabled the Orioles to avoid a three-game sweep at home. Anthony Santander and Gunnar Henderson homered for Baltimore. Trent Grisham went deep for New York.
Grisham, who was batting .173 entering the game, had three hits and drove in the first two New York runs. His RBI single in the second opened the scoring, but Henderson answered with a two-run shot in the third, his 28th homer of the season.
Grisham’s solo homer in the fifth tied it.
Carlos Rodon allowed only two runs for the Yankees, but he was up to 98 pitches after four innings, causing New York to go to its bullpen. Santander’s 24th home run put the Orioles up 3-2 in the fifth.
Baltimore starter Dean Kremer hit Aaron Judge with a pitch in the first inning, two days after Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad was hit in the helmet by a New York pitch and the benches cleared Friday night.