Yankees still chasing home-field edge after Game 1 loss to O's
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 03: Wei-Yin Chen #16 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in third inning during game one of a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on October 3, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Yankees starter Ivan Nova allowed five runs in another shaky outing and New York failed to wrap up home field for the AL Wild Card Game, losing 9-2 to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in the opener of a split-doubleheader.
New York (87-73) can still ensure Tuesday's one-game playoff takes place at Yankee Stadium with a win in the second game against the Orioles or a loss by Houston (85-75), which plays at Arizona later Saturday.
Baltimore's Gerardo Parra had four hits and three RBI. Manny Machado had his 34th home run, off Nova (6-11), and also drove in three runs, and J.J. Hardy had three hits for the Orioles.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he would split his regulars between the first and second game. Center fielder Brett Gardner was the only lefty who faced the left-handed starter Wei-Yin Chen (11-8).
"I think the one thing that tops home-field advantage is health," Girardi said. "Playing guys two games today, to me, is risky in a situation like today, when it's cold and wet and rainy."
New York right-hander Luis Severino will start the late game against Ubaldo Jimenez.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the final start of his first season since Tommy John surgery, Nova allowed eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, walked three and hit a batter to raise his ERA to 5.07.
It was still only 2-0 before Machado hit Nova's 1-2 fastball into the Orioles bullpen with two outs in the fifth. Machado added an infield RBI single when Chasen Shreve relieved Nova during a four-run sixth.
Parra singled in a run in the sixth and drove in two more on his second double of the game in the seventh.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chen allowed two runs in six-plus innings in what could be his final start for the Orioles, striking out three while allowing four hits and three walks.
A pending free agent, the 30-year-old from Taiwan finished the season with a 3.34 ERA. He's 46-32 with a 3.72 ERA in four seasons with Baltimore.
TRAINER'S ROOM
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Yankees: 3B Chase Headley (back stiffness) was in the lineup for Saturday's first game. ... OF Jacoby Ellsbury (back stiffness) was expected to play the second.
Orioles: 2B Jonathan Schoop will have a follow-up exam later Saturday on his bruised right hand. "He's getting a fluoroscope -- I don't know if that's the right word, but it's a sort of next-step X-ray," said manager Buck Showalter.
UP NEXT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Yankees RHP Michael Pineda (12-9, 4.24) looks for his third win in four starts against Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (10-11, 5.05), who last finished a season with an ERA of five or higher in 2011.