Sonny Gray started, and was a little shaky, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. But between them, Adam Warren, David Robertson and the newly called-up Luis Cessa pitched 3 scoreless innings, allowing just 2 hits and no walks.
That gave the Yankee bats the chance to win the game. Brett Gardner drove in 2 runs with a single in the 2nd inning. Aaron Judge got another home with a groundout in the 5th, tying the game 3-3.
The Yankees got the job done over the next 2 innings. Didi Gregorius led off the bottom of the 6th with a walk. Cliche alert: Leadoff walks can kill you -- or, if you're the batting team, they can save you. Tyler Austin singled Didi to 3rd. Miguel Andujar began living up to his immense promise with a sacrifice fly that brought Didi home with what turned out to be the winning run. Austin Romine singled Tyler Austin home, to make it 5-3.
The Yankees got another leadoff walk in the 7th, from Gardner. Judge doubled him home. Giancarlo Stanton flew out, but Judge tagged up and got to 3rd. The O's intentionally walked Didi to set up the double play, but he then foiled Buck Showalter's strategy by stealing 2nd. (The Yankees only had a 2-run lead, so this was hardly gratuitous -- or, as they would say in England, taking the piss.) Austin singled them both home.
Final score: Yankees 8, Orioles 3. WP: Gray (1-0). No save. LP: Chris Tillman (0-2).
The series concludes this afternoon. Jordan Montgomery starts for the Bronx Bombers, Mike Wright Jr. for the Baltimore Birds.
*
Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: Unknown, as the regular season is over. It is possible that the Devils will play the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that wouldn't happen unless both teams reach the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. Otherwise, they wouldn't face the Flyers, the New York Rangers or the New York Islanders until the start of the next regular season, which is usually on the 2nd Friday in October. That would be October 12, or 187 days.
Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 2, this Tuesday night at 7:00, at Fenway Park.
Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 2, Tuesday night at 8:00, in the Semifinal of the CONCACAF Champions League, against Club Deportivo Guadalajara, a.k.a. "Chivas," at Red Bull Arena. They lost the away leg 1-0, so will need to win 2-0. A 1-0 win will send the game to extra time. A 2-1 win would give the overall match to Chivas on away goals. The winner will face either Toronto FC or Mexico City-based Club America. The next league game will be Saturday afternoon, home to the Montreal Impact.
Days until The Arsenal play again, 4, this Thursday at 3:05 PM our time, in the 2nd leg of the Quarterfinal of the UEFA Europa League, away to Russian club CSKA Moscow, the club whose sports teams were once sponsored by the Soviet Red Army. Arsenal beat the 3-1 in the home leg, so if they do no worse than lose by 1 goal, they advance. They just beat Southampton 3-2 in a game that was entertaining but got nasty at the end.
Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 27, on Saturday afternoon, May 5, home to New York City FC. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Union will be on Saturday night, May 26, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison. Their 1st game against the New England Revolution will be on Saturday night, June 2, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Their 1st game against D.C. United, and their 1st game ever at the new Audi Field, will be on Wednesday night, July 25.
Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 50, a "friendly" against Bolivia, at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania, home of the Philadelphia Union, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. After the Bolivia game, there will be a trip to Europe, to play Ireland in Dublin on June 2, and France in Lyon on June 9. These 3 games should have been warmups for the World Cup. Alas...
Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 67, on June 14. A little over 10 weeks. But the U.S. team won't be playing. At least now, Donald Trump doesn't have to choose, and can root for his favorite country, the host nation, Russia.
Days until the 2018 trading deadline, after which we won't have to fear Yankee general manager Brian Cashman trading any proven good players for "prospects": 114, on Tuesday, July 31. A little under 4 months.
Days until the next North London Derby (after this one): Unknown, but not until next season. The Premier League season opener will be on Saturday, August 11, but you never see a derby on the opening weekend. So, more than 125 days.
Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 146, on Saturday, September 1, home to Texas State University. Under 5 months.
Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Unknown. The 2018 schedule hasn't been released yet. But the season opener is usually on the 1st Friday in September. that would be September 7, which is 152 days from now.
Days until the next Congressional election, when we can elect a Democratic Congress that can impeach and remove Donald Trump from the Presidency: 212, on November 6. Under 7 months.
Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State game: 223, on Saturday, November 17, at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 228, on Thursday, November 22. A little over 8 months.
Days until a Democratic Congress can convene, and the impeachment process can begin: 270, on Thursday, January 3, 2019. Just 10 months.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 290, on January 23, 2019. A little over 10 months.
Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 425, on June 7, 2019, in France. A little over a year, or 14 months. The U.S. team, as 3-time and defending Champions, has, as usual, a better chance than the men's team would have had in 2018 anyway.
Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 619, on December 18, 2019. Under 2 years, or a little over 20 months.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 654, on January 22, 2020. A little under 2 years, or a little over 21 months.
Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 838, on July 24, 2020. A little over 2 years, or a little over 27 months.
Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 940, on November 3, 2020. A little over 2 1/2 years, or under 31 months.
Days until Liberation Day: 1,018, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 3 years, or a little over 33 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.
Days until the next Winter Olympics (after the current one in Pyeongchang, Korea) begins in Beijing, China: 1,398, on February 4, 2022. Under 4 years, or under 46 months.
Days until the next World Cup for which the American team will be eligible is scheduled to kick off: 1,688, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. Under 5 years, or a little over 55 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.