After spending three days at Camden Yards
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Bird hit his first career grand slam to back a dominating pitching performance by Gray, and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-0 Wednesday night for a split of the four-game series.
Facing Dylan Bundy (6-9) in the third inning, Bird launched a drive off the right-field foul pole to put New York up 5-0. It was the second night in a row he homered and had four RBIs.
The big first baseman came to Baltimore with nine RBIs, and doubled that total during this series.
”Him playing well is a big deal for us,” manager Aaron Boone said. ”Hopefully we’re starting to see him get settled in and having some impact at bats.”
Gray (6-7) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out eight over six innings. The right-hander had lost three straight starts, the last two in which he gave up a collective 11 runs over 4 1/3 innings.
Facing the last-place Orioles couldn’t have come at a better time for Gray. He’s 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA against Baltimore and 3-7 with a 6.32 ERA against everyone else.
”When you’re going through some things, I think it’s important to get back to your strengths,” Gray said. ”My two-seam and my curveball have always been something I’ve been able to rely on throughout my career, going back to college. I think to simplify things and go back to your strengths, that’s all we tried to do today.”
It worked quite well.
”Sonny Gray is too good a pitcher to stay where he was all year, and I think he made some adjustments,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ”He looked physically strong tonight.”
The victory enabled the Yankees to improve to 5-5 against the Orioles this season. In this series, Baltimore won 5-4 and 6-5, and New York’s wins were by a total of 17 runs.
Rookie Tyler Wade and Austin Romine also homered for the Yankees, and Giancarlo Stanton had four hits.
In the pivotal third inning
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”I feel like gradually it’s coming,” Bird said. ”I can feel it on a swing here and there, and it’s just been better and more consistent.”
Wade went deep in the sixth, and Romine connected in the seventh. Wade’s long ball, his first in the big leagues, came on his 100th at-bat.
New York has 154 home runs this season, a major league record before the All-Star break. The Yankees have played 91 games; the 1999 Seattle Mariners hit 151 in 87 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Boone said LHP Aroldis Chapman (left knee) is ”good to go.” Chapman has not pitched since leaving in the ninth inning Saturday at Toronto. … C Gary Sanchez, on the disabled list since June 25 with a right groin strain, ran and did catching work Wednesday. ”I would say he’s getting closer,” Boone said.
Orioles: RHP Andrew Cashner was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a neck strain. He’s not expected to miss more than one start. … RHP Chris Tillman (back) is slated to conclude his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Norfolk, although manager Buck Showalter floated the idea of starting him in place of Cashner vs. Texas on Sunday.
MOVING PIECES
Manny Machado insists he’s a shortstop. But if he gets traded by the Orioles to the Yankees before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline – one of the many rumors out there – New York could ask him to play 3B next to Didi Gregorius. So where does that leave Yankees 3B Miguel Andujar? ”Those are things I have no control over,” Andujar said through an interpreter. ”I don’t pay attention to that stuff.” Neither does Boone, who said, ”When you’re in a pennant chase, there’s going to be stories that are real, fake
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UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (14-2, 2.12 ERA) seeks to add to his major league-leading win total Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series in Cleveland.
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.11) starts against Philadelphia on Thursday night at Camden Yards in the makeup game of a May 15 rainout.
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Even with the Nos. 6, 7 and 8 seeds in the Eastern Conference all still in play for the Wizards after they beat the Boston Celtics, All-Star point guard John Wall probably will not play in Washington’s final regular-season game.
”I’m cool with whatever,” Wall said. ”That’s up to Coach to make that decision.”
Wall surpassed 5,000 career assists with 12 and scored 29 points, helping the Wizards overcome Jaylen Brown’s 21 first-quarter points to top Boston 113-101 on Tuesday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
”You want to play,” Wall said. ”I want to compete.”
Of course he does. And coach Scott Brooks would love to put Wall out on the floor against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, of course. But Wall only returned to action on March 31 after missing more than two months because of surgery on his left knee, and the Wizards have not been allowing him to play on back-to-back nights.
So that’s why Brooks acknowledged that, while Wall will travel to Orlando, he ”most likely” won’t play. In addition, the Wizards could be without starting small forward Otto Porter Jr., who sat out the second half against Boston after his right calf tightened up.
”Doubt if he plays,” Brooks said about Porter
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For now, the Wizards are eighth in the East. Their result against the Magic, along with how Miami fares against Toronto and what Milwaukee does at Philadelphia, will determine where the Wizards, Heat and Bucks all wind up in the standings ahead of the playoffs.
The Celtics already were locked into the No. 2 seed, but they’re also without point guard Kyrie Irving the rest of the way. If the Wizards end up at No. 7, they would face Boston for the second year in a row. The Celtics eliminated the Wizards in Game 7 of the second round last season.
On Tuesday, Brown nearly outscored the entire Wizards team in the first quarter; he led them 19-17 with about a minute left. By the close of the period, the Celtics were up 30-22, and Brown was shooting 6 for 9, including 5 of 7 on 3-pointers.
”Smoke and mirrors,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
Brown wound up with 27 points at game’s end, as the Wizards tightened up their defense. He did not score in the second quarter – he only took one shot – and the Wizards cut their deficit to 54-52 by halftime, then led 79-72 entering the fourth.
The Celtics have lost four of their last five games.
”There has to be concern,” said Boston’s Al Horford, who had 10 points and 14 rebounds. ”I know it’s the second-to-last game of the season
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The Wizards, meanwhile, were relieved to put at least a temporary end to all of their recent losing.
Regardless of seeding, a victory was what they really needed right now.
”Being able to get a win before the playoffs start is always good,” said Bradley Beal, who scored 19 points. ”Get some momentum.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: G Shane Larkin was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter.
Wizards: Backup C Ian Mahinmi returned to action after missing one game because of a concussion.
WALL’S 5,000TH
Wall came into the game needing nine assists to reach 5,000, and he passed for four of Washington’s first five baskets. He got to the milestone with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter, assisting on a jumper by Markieff Morris. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft is the 10th active player, and 64th in NBA history, with 5,000 assists.
UP NEXT:
Celtics: Host the last-place Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in a game that is meaningless in the standings.
Wizards: Play at the last-place Orlando Magic on Wednesday with a chance to move up to sixth or seventh in the East. But even with a victory, Washington could remain at No. 8.
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