Kremer pitches Orioles past Yankees for 4-2 victory that opens 1-game AL East lead

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer pitched seven innings of two-run ball, Adley Rutschman extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Baltimore won the first two games of a four-game series between the AL East’s top teams and opened a one-game AL East lead, the largest this season for the defending division champion.

Juan Soto hit a 447-foot homer and Austin Wells also had a solo drive for the Yankees, which has lost four of six and scored just two runs in the series.

Kremer (2-2) matched his longest outing this season, allowing four hits and striking out four. While he surrendered Wells’ leadoff homer in the third and Soto’s sixth-inning drive onto Eutaw Street beyond the right-field wall, he also induced three double-play grounders.

Jacob Webb recorded four outs --- including striking out Aaron Judge to end the eighth --- for his first bug league save.

A night after going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the Yankees went 0 for 1 as Judge grounded into an inning-ending forceout in the third.

Judge made his second straight start in left field — the first two of his big league career.

Baltimore did much of its damage in the fourth against Nestor Cortes (1-3) in the fourth inning. Jorge Mateo and James McCann doubled, Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson followed with infield singles, and Rutschman singled in front of a diving Soto in right for a 4-1 lead. All five hits came on the first or second pitch.

Rutschman had both of his hits against Cortes and improved to 8 for 15 against the left-hander.

Cortes allowed four runs in six innings and struck out five, dropping to 0-2 in his last four starts.

Anthony Santander scored the Orioles’ first run after he doubled to lead off the second. Second baseman Gleyber Torres hit him in the back when he tried to move up on Jordan Westburg’s grounder, and Santander scampered home as the ball rolled toward the third base dugout for Torres' fourth error.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: New York traded INF Keiner Delgado to Pittsburgh to complete the March 29 deal that sent RHP JT Brubaker to the Yankees.

Orioles: RHP Craig Kimbrel, who left Sunday’s loss to Oakland with back soreness, threw in the bullpen before the game.

UP NEXT

Baltimore ace RHP Corbin Burnes (3-0, 2.55 ERA) faces New York RHP Luis Gil (1-1, 4.01) Wednesday night.

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