Jordan Lyles pitched seven-plus stellar innings and the visiting Baltimore Orioles stayed mathematically alive in the American League wild-card race for the moment with a 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night.
Lyles (12-11) kept Aaron Judge from hitting his 62nd home run and breaking the AL record set by Roger Maris in 1961 with the Yankees.
Judge was 1-for-2 with two walks to extend his season-high on-base streak to 28 games.
Lyles allowed one run on four hits while pitching on three days’ rest after tossing two innings in a rain-shortened start Monday in Boston. The veteran right-hander struck out nine and walked one to match his career high for wins set in 2019 with Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.
Lyles exited after allowing a leadoff single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Felix Bautista stranded two in the eighth and DL Hall pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first career save.
The Orioles (81-76) entered Friday facing the prospect of elimination with a loss. Baltimore can still be eliminated if the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics later Friday.
Ryan Mountcastle hit an RBI single in the first off New York starter Domingo German (2-4) and rookie Adley Rutschman scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch by former Oriole Zack Britton in the sixth.
Rookie Oswaldo Cabrera homered for the Yankees, who lost for the second time in 11 games.
German allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and issued two of his three walks in the sixth.
Baltimore went ahead when Cedric Mullins scored on Mountcastle’s single after stealing second and advancing on a throwing error by catcher Jose Trevino. After Cabrera hit a 2-2 sinker into the right field seats in the fifth, the Orioles took a 2-1 lead when Rutschman scored on Britton’s wild pitch.
Britton was lifted due to left arm fatigue after throwing the pitch to pinch hitter Jesus Aguilar. Ron Marinaccio completed the at-bat and left the bases loaded by fanning Kyle Stowers.
–Field Level Media