The Yankees and Orioles started off their three-game series at Camden Yards. The Yankees came into the series being swept by Boston Red Sox, and the Orioles sit atop first place. It is time: recap time.

Game 1: Severino vs. Tillman

Luis Severino’s command was god-awful, particularly when it came to Mark Trumbo. Severino missed the plate on almost every pitch. He elevated a great deal of his pitches which led to lots of pitches hit hard. His final line: 6 IP 5 H 3 ER 2 BB 4 Ks.

Severino used his fastball a bit less than 50% of the time with noted reliance on his slider. He has had a problem of keeping his slider up in the zone over his last couple of starts. One bright spot in his start has to be Severino’s changeup velocity. He averaged 87 mph on his changeup which can be a great if he can handle his shaky fastball/slider command.

The Yankees offense was terrible…again. The team scored first in the 2nd inning off a Didi Gregorius single to drive in Brian McCann. In total, the team managed seven hits (more than the Orioles) but were all singles and distributed throughout nine innings. Tough love.

Chris Tillman pitched quite well, posting 7 IP 5 H 1 ER 4 BB 9 Ks. His nine strikeouts are tied for his career-high. Tillman tapped into his increased fastball velocity that he used more than half of the time, with similar usage of his cutter and changeup. Tillman kept the Yankees’s lefty hitters on bay with great control of hitting inside the zone. His increase in velocity has been beneficial for him, as he now has a 2.81 ERA / 2.63 FIP.

The Orioles offense was booming with the help of two Trumbo home runs. His first home run was a solo jack that went over 400 ft. The pitch was right in his happy area:

Not to forget Trumbo’s second home run that was not a bad pitch (a bit inside) but Trumbo was able to turn on it to make it a two-run home run:

The Orioles’s third run happened when Severino was unable to hold onto a throw from Mark Teixeria. Ryan Flaherty hit the ball to Teixeria who made a good nab, but when he tossed the ball to Severino, he dropped the ball. This allowed Jonathan Schoop to score from second base. Amazingly, Severino committed this error twice (!). Rookie mistakes.

Orioles take Game 1, 4-1.

Game 2: Sabathia vs. Wilson

Sabathia stopped the Yankees six game losing streak. He pitched 7 IP 6 H 0 ER 2 BB 6 Ks. Exactly what the Yankees needed from their long-tenured Yankee. Sabathia’s only 1-2-3 inning was his final inning, and got two double plays.

Sabathia’s changeup was clicking for him as he used that pitch heavily against righties. He threw 28 changeups and induced eight swings-and-misses. He threw in the occasional slide against lefties as he was really felling his pitches.

The Yankees offense scored more than two runs! It was truly a miracle. The offense spotted seven runs with three in the 6th inning and four in the 7th inning. In the 6th inning, the Yankees manufactured their runs with a sacrifice fly, single, and error. Nothing special but the Yankees will take anything they can get. But after the 6th inning, they were 8 for 17 with six singles, two doubles, and three walks. Scoring is cool.

The Orioles deployed righty Tyler Wilson against the Yankees are he pitched decently. His final line was 6 IP 4 H 2 ER 3 BB 4 Ks. The Yankees did their damage against Wilson in the 3rd inning with three runs but he kept his poise for the rest of his outing. He used his fastball about 60% of the time with sub-20% use of his changeup.

The Orioles offense were shutout with seven hits but ten strikeouts with every batter striking out at least once. The team had a runner on base in each inning except the 7th and 9th but was unable to score. The bases were loaded for the Orioles in the 8th inning but Dellin Betances was able to strike out Chris Davis on three pitches, and got Manny Machado to fly out on the first pitch.

Yankees take Game 2, 7-0.

Game 3: Tanaka vs. Gausmann

Tanaka and Gausmann had themselves a pitching duel. Both starters went onto the 8th inning. Here are their respective final lines:

Tanaka: 8 IP 5 H 1 BB 7 Ks

Gausmann: 8 IP 3 H 0 BB 4 Ks

About the Yankees offense: there was none.

About the Orioles offense: there was one. The Orioles scored off a sacrifice fly by Pedro Alvarez in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Why is this games’ recap so brief? Because the game was contained lackluster offense by both sides while the great pitching performances by both pitchers were the only entertaining part.

The Orioles win the series 2-1, winning the last game 1-0. The Yankees play the Red Sox at home, and the Orioles play the Oakland A’s for their next three-game series.

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Previous Recaps:

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox Series Recap

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Series Recap

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers Series Recap