BALTIMORE (AP) — Since the All-Star break, Miguel Gonzalez has helped anchor a Baltimore rotation that has been one of the best in the big leagues.
Gonzalez had another effective outing Saturday, but it was an aggressive play by the New York Yankees that helped keep him from earning a fourth consecutive win.
Chris Young stole home in his latest surprising September performance and the Yankees beat the AL East leaders 3-2, ending the Orioles’ longest winning streak of the season at six.
Gonzalez (9-8) allowed three runs on three hits with one strikeout and three walks over six innings. He had given up two runs or fewer in nine his past 10 starts.
“I don’t have that many innings this year,” Gonzalez said. “I think that’s been the key and basically that’s it. I had a couple times, I had my injury and then I went down (to the minors). But other than that, everything feels great.”
The Yankees bounced back after being swept in a doubleheader Friday. New York stayed on the fringe of the wild-card race while Baltimore’s magic number for clinching the division remained at five.
Young added his to recent bunch of extra-base hits when he doubled during a three-run second. Speedy Antoan Richardson followed with an RBI single and then took off for second, beating the throw by Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph while Young scampered home without a return toss.
“If I put the ball in tagging area he’s out and we’re not talking about it,” Joseph said. “I just didn’t execute. I threw it up the line a little bit. If I put it on the money, he’s out. I didn’t do my job and it cost us a run.”
Baltimore manager Buck Showalter continues to be impressed with Gonzalez. In his last six starts, Gonzalez is 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA with six quality starts.
“I’ve got to tell you, in a lot of ways that’s one of the more impressive outings of the year from him, because he wasn’t carrying much. He may not admit it,” he said. “But I think that’s the difference in major league pitchers, guys who can have success out there and keep you engaged in a game.”
“That was impressive, because they were searching first two or three innings to try to find something he could do to keep us engaged in the game, and he did,” he said.
Shane Greene (5-3) improved to 4-0 in seven road starts this season, including a victory at Camden Yards in July. He allowed two runs and seven hits, striking out nine in 5 1-3 innings.
David Robertson earned his 36th save, retiring Nick Markakis on a grounder for the final out with a runner on third.
Brian McCann stopped an 0-for-12 skid with his 19th homer, a solo shot in the second. Gonzalez lost despite giving up just three hits in six innings.
Steve Pearce had two hits, including his 17th home run, for the Orioles. Adam Jones, Jimmy Paredes and Markakis also had two hits each.
Nelson Cruz hit an RBI single in the Baltimore third. Pearce homered in the sixth.
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy, who missed time over the past week with back spasms, returned to the lineup after sitting out the previous night’s game.
ON DECK:
Yankees: RHP Hiroki Kuroda (10-9, 3.91 ERA) will get the start for Derek Jeter’s final game at Camden Yards. It will also mark the fourth consecutive season Kuroda has made 30 starts.
Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (12-5, 3.36) will try to help Baltimore win the series. He has allowed three runs or fewer in 18 consecutive starts.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
