Reynolds Powers O’s Over Yanks 8-3

Phil Hughes was rocked in his start on Sunday in the Yankees (76-57) 8-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles (74-59) with Baltimore slugger Mark Reynolds doing a majority of the damage hitting two mammoth home runs. Hughes went five innings gave up five runs on eight hits and struck out six.

The Yankees got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Chris Dickerson hit a line drive home run into the second deck in right field off of Baltimore starter Chris Tillman. It was Dickerson’s first of the season. Dickerson was called up last week from AAA-Scranton when roster sizes expanded.

Chris Tillman only lasted three innings before leaving the game with stiffness in his throwing arm. Randy Wolf came on and pitched three innings, gave up one run on three hits and earned the win, his first as a Baltimore Oriole. That run was in the bottom of the fifth when Nick Swisher laced an RBI single putting the Yankees up 3-1.

In the top of the fifth Mark Reynolds led off with a solo blast more than halfway up the left-center field getting the Orioles on the board. In the sixth Phil Hughes walked Nate McLouth to start the inning, then Adam Jones singled and Matt Wieters followed with an RBI single scoring McLouth. The next batter Mark Reynolds then drilled another deep home run into almost the same spot as the first one. The home run completely changed the game putting the Orioles up 5-3 and Hughes was pulled for Cody Eppely. Reynolds hit four homeruns in the three games against the Yankees this weekend and now has 16 on the year.

In the top of the eighth the Orioles tagged on three more runs in an inning where Joe Girardi used five Yankee relievers.

The Yankees have a two game lead on the Orioles in the AL East standings and have a three game series with Tampa Bay and a four game series with Baltimore looming. The three game series with the Rays starts on Monday afternoon. C.C. Sabathia (13-4 3.40) pitches for the Yankees while James Shields (12-8 3.91) will start for the Rays. Pregame coverage begins at 12:30, first pitch at 1:05 right here on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.