Orioles can't keep up with AL-leading Yankees in 7-2 loss to open series

Jacob Calvin Meyer, The Baltimore Sun on May 1, 2026

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Through one month, the American League had one good team and 14 middling ones.

The Orioles are one of the 14. The Yankees are on top.

In the first game of their series on Friday night, it looked that way.

The Yankees pummeled Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich for five runs in the first two innings en route to handing Baltimore a 7-2 loss. The Orioles’ offense couldn’t mount a comeback, scrounging only three hits off Yankees starter Will Warren and his relievers.

The defeat dropped Baltimore to 15-17, six games back of the AL-best Yankees (21-11).

Povich retired the first two batters he faced, but he walked Aaron Judge and allowed a double to Cody Bellinger. Right fielder Dylan Beavers bobbled the ball, making it easier for Judge to score to give the Yankees an early lead.

The Yankees then homered twice off Povich in the second frame. Jose Caballero hit a solo shot down the left-field line, while the red-hot Ben Rice capped off a two-out rally with a three-run blast to give Warren all the run support he needed.

Povich was starting Friday in place of Trevor Rogers, the Orioles’ No. 1 starter, who was placed on the injured list earlier this week with the flu. The start was Povich’s second of the season. In his first, he twirled 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a win over the Giants.

It’s only May, but Baltimore’s starting rotation is already in a difficult position. With Zach Eflin out for the season and Dean Kremer and Rogers on the 15-day IL, the Orioles are turning to Povich and Brandon Young. They both have struggled to begin their young big league careers, but impressed in their first few outings. Then Young allowed 10 runs (seven earned) in four innings in Thursday’s Game 2 loss to the Astros, and Povich couldn’t stem the tide Friday, allowing five runs in four innings.

The biggest swing of the evening for the Orioles came from none other than former New York superstar Pete Alonso. While it’s Yankee Stadium and not the Mets’ Citi Field, Friday was still Alonso’s first game back in the Big Apple. He announced his homecoming with a solo homer — the fifth long ball of his first season with Baltimore — to briefly tie the game before the Yankees’ outburst in the second inning.

Baltimore’s bats would record only two more hits the rest of the night.

Their best chance was in the seventh inning. The Orioles bounced Warren, who lowered his ERA to 2.39 in a rotation that’s been MLB’s best this season, after Alonso walked and Samuel Basallo singled. But reliever Fernando Cruz limited the damage, getting Beavers to hit an RBI groundout and Leody Taveras to fly out.

Albert Suárez, who joined the club Friday after closer Ryan Helsley went on the IL with an elbow injury, provided critical long relief, pitching 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The lone run he allowed was on an Amed Rosario single in the seventh. Tyler Wells then gave up the final run of the game in the eighth on a Judge single. Six of New York’s seven runs were scored with two outs.

The Orioles and Yankees have a quick turnaround with a day game on Saturday. Baltimore’s best chance for a win this weekend is perhaps Saturday with Kyle Bradish on the mound against Yankees left-hander Ryan Weathers.