Bronx, NY – Chris Davis highlighted a seven-run second inning with a grand slam and the Baltimore Orioles went on to beat the New York Yankees, 11-5, in the middle test of a three-game series.
Nick Markakis, Omar Quintanilla and Wilson Betemit knocked in two runs apiece for the Orioles, who have won three games in a row on the heels of a 1-5 stretch and closed to within 5 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Yankees.
New York jumped on Baltimore starter Chris Tillman (4-1) for five runs in the first inning, but the right-hander settled down and held the Yankees scoreless over the next four frames before giving way to the bullpen.
Yankees starter Ivan Nova (10-5) was victimized for a career-high nine runs on 10 hits over five innings.
New York has lost four straight games, matching a season high, and nine of 12 overall.
"We're not stressing," the Yankees' Nick Swisher said. "We just have to come out here, keep continuing to pound, to grind and basically win some ball games."
A Derek Jeter leadoff double, Curtis Granderson RBI single and a Robinson Cano home run staked the Yankees to a quick 3-0 lead.
Swisher followed with a single before being erased on a fielder's choice. A single by Eric Chavez put men on the corners and an E1 on a chopper hit by Ichiro Suzuki produced a fourth run. Russell Martin then grounded an RBI single to left to make it 5-0 after one.
The Orioles, though, responded with seven two-out runs in the second.
Adam Jones and Matt Wieters opened the frame with back-to-back singles before Nova came back to struck out both Lew Ford and Betemit swinging.
Things then unraveled for the New York right-hander. Mark Reynolds stroked an RBI double, Quintanilla plated a pair with a single and Davis crushed the first grand slam of his career to cap the offensive surge.
"As a starting pitcher it's always good to see that," Tillman said of the seven-run outburst. "The longer you sit in the dugout, some guys complain about it, but I'll take that on a night like tonight."
Consecutive doubles by Ford and Betemit extended the lead to three in the third. Betemit singled home Jones with two gone in the fifth to put Baltimore up 9-5.
The Orioles struck again with two outs in the eighth, as Markakis blasted a two-run homer to right field off Clay Rapada.
Game Notes
New York first baseman Mark Teixeira is day-to-day because of a left wrist injury. An MRI revealed only inflammation and no structural damage...The Yankees acquired infielder Casey McGehee and cash considerations from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for reliever Chad Qualls...New York activated reliever Joba Chamberlain from the 60-day disabled list. Chamberlain underwent Tommy John surgery last June and then had surgery to repair a dislocated right ankle in March...The Orioles placed designated hitter Jim Thome on the 15-day disabled list with a herniated disc in his neck and activated infielder Robert Andino from the 15-day DL. Andino had been sidelined with a left shoulder strain.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.