The Yankees went in to the game with their lead cut to five games and playing the team who were five games behind them- the Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore were coming off a convincing win. They had Zach Eflin starting. Prior to this game he was 9 wins, 7 losses with a 3.53 ERA. The Yankees had Marcus Stroman on the mound. He went into the game with a 10-8 record and a 4.04 ERA. Recently, Stroman had been dropped from the Yankees starting rotation and made his last appearance on the 17th as a closer against Seattle in Seattle. He was indeed on long rest.

Orioles went into this one clear favourites.

The first pitch came just after seven in the evening. Gunnar Henderson hit a single past Anthony Volpe at shortstop. This was followed by another hit from Jordan Westburg which also dropped safely – this time in centerfield, moving Henderson up to second. After six pitches, the Yankees were in trouble. 2 more pitches passed, and Anthony Santander singled a line drive towards Aaron Judge’s territory, again resulting in a single and the bases were now loaded. Next was rookie Colton Cowser. He gave the team their fourth consecutive single. Henderson and Westburg scored, Santander was out on the throw 7-6-2-6. 2-0

And obviously the inning wasn’t over yet and Stroman looked edgy. He allowed Cowser to steal second and then gave up a single to Ryan Mountcastle (again to centerfield). Cowser scored on the hit. 3-0.

Ryan O’Hearn then hit to Juan Soto in rightfield. Ramon Urias appeared to hit into a force play but this was overturned on appeal and the bases were loaded. Fortunately, Cedric Mullins hit into a ground out. The inning was over, and it was BAL 3 NYY 0.

Bottom of the first? Torres flied out to Santander. However, there was a glimmer of hope with consecutive walks given up to Judge and Soto.

But the hope was short lived with Austin Wells hitting into a 5-6-3 double play.

In the top of the second, Stroman began to settle. James McCann grounded out, but this was followed by a second single from Henderson. Henderson was caught stealing. Nobody on and 2 outs. Westburg struck out to end the inning.

The Yankees gathered some momentum. Giancarlo Stanton walked. A weak pop up from Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed. Jasson Dominguez lined out to Mullins in centerfield.

A walk to Anthony Rizzo moved the weak-running Stanton to second. A single for Volpe was strong enough for even Stanton to score. Rizzo moved to third. Gleyber Torres hit a flyout to Santander to end the bottom of the second.

The third opened with Santander flying out and Cowser grounding out. A throwing error from Anthony Volpe allowed Mountcastle to reach first. He wasn’t going anywhere as O’Hearn launched a flyball straight to Dominguez.

In the bottom half, Juan Soto struck out in 8 pitches, Judge grounded out, Wells lined out to Cowser in leftfield. The 4th began with a Ramon Urias single into rightfield. This was followed by a Mullins’ single which moved Urias to 3rd. Mullins then stole 2nd; this was followed with a McCann line out to Torres. Then, Henderson picked up his third single of the game, a hit which once again dropped awkwardly for Judge in centerfield. This was a 2 RBI single which meant that Baltimore now led 5-1.

Things could only get better for the New York Yankees. Surely. Well. maybe. Clayton Beeter came into replace Stroman who had a nightmare outing. Beeter started well, striking out Westburg, but the promising start was short lived. Santander hit a sharp line drive to right field which dropped for a double and scored Henderson, 6-1.

A second double came next with Cowser putting a line drive into centerfield once more out of Judge’s reach. This scored Santander. 7-1.

A fly out from Mountcastle brought an end to Baltimore’s time at bat.

The first two Yankees’ batters grounded out (Stanton and Chisholm). This was followed by a centerfield line out for Dominguez.

Beeter was still on the mound as Baltimore returned to bat. O’Hearn popped out & Urias grounded out 5-3. Beeter then conceded a walk to Mullins who then stole base. A single from McCann brought Mullins home, 8-1.

Time for another Yankees’ change with Cody Poteet coming on to replace Beeter. Poteet quickly closed out with the top of the 5th, causing Henderson to line out.

The Yankees fortune suddenly were raised in the bottom of the 5th. A single from Rizzo started things off well. However, Volpe flied out and then Torres hit into a 3-4-3 ground out. But with those two outs, Soto was able to lift a pitch over the centrefield wall. 8-3

This was followed by a single for Judge and a walk for Wells. The Orioles made a call to the bullpen and brought in Jacob Webb. Stanton then hit a single to shortstop to load the bases. Sadly, Chisholm closed the Yankees’ time at-bat with a fly out to right field which Santander hoovered up.

In the top of the 6th, Westburg grounded out, Santander hit into a flyout, and Cowser struck out on a foul tip.

Then Dominguez hit a single to Mountcastle to open the Yankees’ batting. However, this was followed by Rizzo being called out on strikes after 5 pitches. A Volpe 4-6 forceout saw Dominguez out at second. Torres then ended the inning with a 5-3 groundout.

In the top of the 7th, Baltimore went down in order. Mountcastle struck out, O’Hearn hit a fly out to centerfielder Aaron Judge and Urias hit another fly into the same part of the park.

Danny Coulombe was brought in as a reliever in the 7th and made the 3 outs look simple and uncomplicated. Soto grounded out 4-3, Judge grounded out 5-3, and Wells skyed one to Mullins in centerfield.

Baltimore once again started to take a grip in the 8th. Mullins hit a double into rightfield. McCann’s single which also went to rightfield moved Mullins up to 3rd. Henderson struck out swinging on 7 pitches. But then, crucially, a Westburg single widened the Baltimore lead, 9-3.

A Santander ground out moved McCann up to 3 and Westburg to 2nd. Cowser was walked to load the bases. However, a lineout to rightfield from Mountcastle was cleanly taken by Soto to end the Orioles’ time at the plate.

As the game moved into the bottom of the 8th, Baltimore brought in Gregory Soto in relief. Stanton and Chisholm both struck out swinging and the inning rounded out with a six-three ground out for Dominguez.

Cody Poteet who had been on the mound since the 5th for the Yankees, and having given up only 1 run in 3 and a third inning was now lifted, and Mark Leiter Jr. was brought on. Leiter struck out O’Hearn and Urias, but then conceded a single to Mullins. McCann then struck out on a foul tip as Leiter recovered nicely.

The Yankees had one last chance and a call to the bullpen brought ex-Yankee Matt Bowman into action for the Orioles. The Yankees grabbed their chance with both hands. First, Rizzo hit a single safely past shortstop Henderson. However, Volpe struck out swinging for the first out, but the Yankees were no to be held back. Torres followed with a liner to centerfield and Soto provided a similar hit albeit to rightfield. This scored Rizzo. Next, Judge came to the plate and hit the first pitch over the centerfield wall for a three-run homer. 9-7.

The Yankees needed two more runs to be back in it. The Orioles brought in Keegan Akin for Bowman who frankly looked devastated. However, the Yankees next man up was Wells who had been struggling dreadfully. He shows no sign of turning the corner and hit a flyout to Cowser.

One out remained, with Stanton up who is pressing too hard. He made slight connection on the first pitch but only enough to pop it up in the direction of Westburg at second base who made a clean and effortless catch.

The Yankees left the Stadium 4 games ahead but with 4 games to go. The New York Post are going to have a field day.