Yankees 6, Orioles 2
NEW YORK -- Right-hander Michael Pineda struck out a career-high 16 hitters over seven dominant innings and the New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 on Sunday.
Pineda (5-0) came within two of the team record set by left-hander Ron Guidry on June 17, 1978, against the California Angels as he confounded Baltimore hitters with a mix of fastballs and sliders. He allowed one run and six hits and might have had a chance at tying Guidry but was at 111 pitches through seven.
Pineda tied for the second most strikeouts in team history. David Cone had 16 strikeouts on June 23, 1997, at Detroit and David Wells also had 16 against the Oakland Athletics on July 30, 1997, in New York.
Pineda reached 12 strikeouts through five innings when he got Manny Machado on a 2-2 slider above the knees that prompted the third baseman to slam his helmet to the ground.
Pineda struck out six straight hitters until right fielder Delmon Young doubled with two outs in the sixth. Pineda did not reach a 2-0 count until facing Chris Davis in the sixth but the first baseman grounded out softly on a defensive shift.
Every hitter except shortstop J.J. Hardy struck out at least once against Pineda while Machado, Young, Davis, left fielder Alejandro De Aza, catcher Caleb Joseph and second baseman Ryan Flaherty fanned twice.
Pineda entered the seventh at 91 pitches and nobody warming up in the bullpen. After allowing a leadoff hit to Hardy, left-hander Justin Wilson began getting loose but Pineda recorded his next two strikeouts by getting Joseph and Flaherty on sliders to end the seventh.
While Pineda had command of the strike zone, Baltimore right-hander Bud Norris (1-4) did not. Norris, who had been sent back to the team hotel Saturday due to having chills, allowed four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings while throwing 43 of 88 pitches for strikes.
Right fielder Carlos Beltran and catcher Brian McCann hit solo home runs for the Yankees, who have won 14 of their last 19 games. Shortstop Didi Gregorius and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury drove in two runs apiece.
Hardy homered and center fielder Adam Jones had an RBI single for the Orioles, who lost five of six games in their trip to face the Mets and Yankees.
Pineda pitched with a 1-0 deficit after Hardy drove a 2-2 slider over the left field wall with one out in the second.
The Yankees scored four times with one out in the fourth on Beltran's home run, Gregorius' single to right and Ellsbury's two-run double to left.
Gregorius' hit scored Headley, who was initially held up by third base coach Joe Espada but scored when Young overthrew the cutoff man at second base. The Yankees took a 4-1 lead when De Aza initially ran in on the fly ball before it went well over his head, allowing the runs to easily score.
McCann made it 5-1 when he sent a first-pitch fastball just inside the right field foul pole with one out in the fifth and the Yankees added their final run on Gregorius' double in the seventh.
NOTES: Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said Kevin Gausman (right shoulder tendinitis) is responding well to treatment and will have an MRI Tuesday. ... Orioles C Matt Wieters, who is 10 months into his recovery from Tommy John surgery, caught seven innings Saturday in extended spring training. He will catch eight innings Tuesday and nine innings Thursday and Saturday. ... New York RHP Masahiro Tanaka threw off flat ground at distances of 90 and 120 feet. It was the third time he has thrown since landing on the DL with right wrist tendinitis and a strained right forearm. ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau since the inception of earned runs (1912 in the National League and 1913 in the American League), RHP Dellin Betances and LHP Andrew Miller are the only teammates to pitch at least 15 innings through a team's first 30 games and not allow an earned run.