Orioles shut out Yankees, 2-0, as Gunnar Henderson hits historic homer and Grayson Rodriguez bounces back
The young guys came to play Monday night.
Gunnar Henderson made history as the youngest player in MLB history to hit 10 home runs before May 1 of a season and scored both of the Orioles’ runs, while right-hander Grayson Rodriguez threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Baltimore’s 2-0 win over the New York Yankees.
Henderson, at 22 years and 305 days old, became just the third Orioles hitter with double-digit home runs before the end of April, joining Brady Anderson (11 in 1996) and Frank Robinson (10 in 1969). The reigning AL Rookie of the Year also tied Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout for this season’s MLB lead with the blast, his third leadoff homer of the year.
“It’s always a big boost when you’re not really expecting a leadoff homer to start the game but our guy has definitely got the ability to,” manager Brandon Hyde said after the game. “He’s done it a few times this year. He’s 22 years old, too. It’s pretty scary how good this guy is going to be, how good he is already.”
Rodriguez threw a career-high 101 pitches and struck out only three in his outing, but he made them count. The Orioles’ right-hander retired the Yankees’ Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters — Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo — with each punchout.
Despite Henderson’s continued breakout, pitching took center stage in a game between the two teams that lead MLB in home runs. Rodriguez outdueled Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt, who allowed the one run over 5 2/3 innings of his own. It was a welcome sight for the Orioles (18-10) after the 24-year-old gave up seven earned runs against the Angels his last time out.
“Just kind of an off outing. I thought they were really on the pitches that he missed in the middle part of the plate,” Hyde said before the game. “He’s got to do a better job of just commanding the ball like he’s done for the most part.”
Rodriguez returned to form in time to face New York, a team he has not allowed a run against in 11 innings to begin his career. The right-hander scattered five hits and walked three, battling command issues early in counts but making key out pitches when he needed them.
Two of his strikeouts against the Yankees’ middle-of-the-order bats came with runners on base. He got Judge to swing through three offspeed pitches with runners on the corners in the third and then threw three straight fastballs with the count full on Soto, the last a 96.6 mph pitch that blew past him in the fifth. New York finished the evening 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 base runners.
“Any time you keep ’em off the board, it’s a good night,” Rodriguez said. “A little wild, trying to find the strike zone. Had some traffic there a lot, and just trying to limit that next time.”
Baltimore’s bullpen, which was without closer Craig Kimbrel after he exited Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics with upper-back soreness, locked down the final 3 1/3 innings to secure the Orioles’ third shutout victory of the season. Left-hander Cionel Pérez made his return from an oblique injury and kept Rodriguez’s pitching line intact by stranding two runners to close the sixth.
Pérez needed similar help in the following frame and got it from setup man Yennier Cano. Facing Judge with two outs and two on, the right-hander got New York’s star outfielder to fly out on the first pitch. Cano remained in the game to pitch a scoreless eighth and started the ninth before allowing a leadoff single to Gleyber Torres. Danny Coulombe retired the next three batters to earn his first save since Aug. 25 and the third of his career.
“It’s fun,” Coulombe said of getting the save opportunity. “Any time you get to pitch in a leverage situation, that’s why you play this game. So, when Kimbrel’s down, yeah, it’s going to be a team effort. Cano did an awesome job today, three ups, that’s big time. So did Cionel. First outing back, 1-0 game, it’s big time.”
In addition to Henderson, who, in the eighth, beat Soto’s throw to third on a flyball and then scored a key insurance run when shortstop Anthony Volpe booted an easy ground ball in the next at-bat, catcher Adley Rutschman went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Second baseman Jordan Westburg returned from a one-game absence because of a stomach bug and ended the night 1-for-3. He was caught stealing in the second, making him the second Orioles base runner to be thrown out in 26 attempts this season.
With the win, the Orioles moved into a tie with the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The teams still have 12 games left in their season series, including three more at Camden Yards this week. The Orioles will send right-hander Dean Kremer, who is coming off the second 10-strikeout game of his career, to the mound Tuesday opposite Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes, a former Orioles Rule 5 pick who has a 1.99 ERA in 45 1/3 innings against Baltimore.
“It’s definitely a fun atmosphere,” Henderson said of facing the Yankees. “AL East rivals, it’s fun to get the first game. Yeah, looking forward to continuing that.”
Yankees at Orioles
Tuesday, 6:35 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM