Torres, Yankees continue to dominate Orioles. Baltimore falls 11-8

Have you ever popped into the local theater to catch a matinee and 15 minutes in wished you had just stayed home? That’s kind of how it felt watching the Orioles in game one of today’s double header against the Yankees. By the time the Yankees scored their fourth run in the first inning, the writing was on the wall. You can read Mark Brown’s recap of the Orioles game-one defeat here.

It happens. Baseball teams lose games, and some movies just aren’t that good. But have you ever gone back to the theater to watch the same movie that night? Of course not. Who would waste their evening with something when they know how it’s going to end. That’s kind of how it felt watching the second game this evening. The Orioles fell behind early once again, and dropped game two 11-8 in New York.

The second game featured the same cast as the first. An overmatched Baltimore pitching staff serving as the protagonist, and Gleyber Torres playing the villain.

There was not a happy ending.

Torres homered twice in the game and finished with 6 RBIs in a 3-4 performance. He also homered earlier this afternoon to give him three blasts on the day. Torres has now hit 13 home runs against the Orioles this season. He may not be Barry Bonds, but he sure swings like him when he’s facing the team in black and orange. If Pedro Martinez had to tip his cap and call the Yankees his daddy, I don’t even know how the Orioles should refer to Gleyber Torres.

The Orioles trailed for the duration in this one after Orioles starter Ty Blach surrendered 3 runs in the first. The Yankees loaded the bases with three singles, and Brett Gardner chased them all home with a triple to left center field. The ball landed out of reach from a diving Anthony Santander, and provided a “here we go again” type of feeling.

The Yankees added another run on a wild pitch in the second, but Baltimore began to battle back in the third. Hanser Alberto led off with a triple of his own and came around to score on a ground ball by Rio Ruiz. Jonathan Villar followed with a single, and Trey Mancini blasted his 29th home run to trim the lead to one.

Blach bounced back with a scoreless third, but allowed his fifth run of the game on a solo shot by Mike Ford in the fourth inning. Evan Phillips replaced Blach in the fifth, and served up a hanging slider to Torres. Torres didn’t miss, and provided the Yankees an 8-3 lead with a three-run home run.

Torres stepped up an inning later, again with two men on, and did the exact same thing. This time, it was Tom Eshelman’s slider that ended up in the seats, and the Yankees led by eight.

All you can do is shake your head. This guy absolutely owns the Orioles. Even in a year where the balls may be “juiced,” even against a pitching staff as bad as Baltimore’s, 13 home runs against one team is impressive. Still, it’s the type of thing that makes you wonder “how many days until college football starts.”

The Orioles scored five runs late to make this game look closer than it was. That may not be completely fair, because Baltimore did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning. The Yankees were forced to summon Adam Ottavino out of the bullpen, and he retired Jonathan Villar and Trey Mancini to end the game. There’s credit to be given for the Orioles continuing to fight, but this one felt out of reach from the start.

Hanser Alberto blasted a three-run home run off of right-handed reliever Brady Lail in the seventh inning. The blast plated Jace Peterson and Chance Sisco, and was part of a 3-4 evening for Alberto. No other Oriole recorded multiple hits, but Baltimore tallied nine in the game compared to the Yankees 12.

The Orioles will send John Means to the mound tomorrow evening against Domingo Germán, and the Birds have to be hoping Torres has a scheduled day of rest. Otherwise, it could be another long night in New York.