NEW YORK -- First, it was Brendan Ryan, then Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. To complete a sweep over Baltimore, the Yankees got big hits from Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley.
Ellsbury finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in four runs and Headley hit a three-run double in the first inning Thursday as New York beat the Orioles 9-3, bolstering its spot atop the AL East.
"We've got a deep lineup," Headley, the No. 6 batter, said. "Obviously the guys in the middle have been tremendous, and the guys in the beginning have been tremendous, as well. But there's a lot of guys throughout the lineup that can do damage."
Masahiro Tanaka (7-3) won his third straight start, allowing three solo homers and a pair of doubles in 7 2/3 innings to help New York to its ninth win in 11 games.
The Yankees are 12 games over .500 at 53-41 for the first time since May 25, 2013, their high point that season.
Ryan had the go-ahead hit Tuesday night, and A-Rod and Teixeira connected Wednesday, putting New York in position for its first sweep of the Orioles since April 2012.
Ellsbury homered and had a sacrifice fly and a two-run double among three hits. With a chance at the cycle, he grounded back to the pitcher in the eighth.
Didi Gregorius followed Headley's bases-clearing hit with an RBI single off Ubaldo Jimenez as New York increased their major league-leading total of first-inning runs to 86.
"I think there's a lot of confidence in that clubhouse, right now, the way everyone is swinging the bats," manager Joe Girardi said.
Jimenez (7-6) went into the All-Star break with a 2.81 ERA, firmly established as the Orioles' ace. It's been a completely different story since then, as he's given up seven runs in two straight starts against Detroit and the Yankees.
"I was executing my pitches down in the zone and right now I'm missing right down the middle," said Jimenez in comparing his success before the break to his struggles after it.
The Yankees put up eight hits and seven runs before Jimenez could finish the third. After 2 1/3 innings, his ERA was at 3.81.
The Orioles have not been much better since the four-day break, dropping four of six. They are two games under .500 (46-48) for the first time since June 10.
Baltimore entered this series in second place in the AL East but is headed to Tampa Bay in fourth, seven games back of New York.
Ellsbury got the Yankees rolling right away, leading off the first with a single. Jimenez walked the bases loaded, then struck out Teixeira and got Carlos Beltran to fly to left. Headley hit a drive over the head of All-Star center fielder Adam Jones.
Four days from turning 40, Rodriguez chugged home from first. He reached down awkwardly to try to touch the plate and did two full barrel rolls before landing on his back. Brett Gardner twice waved his arms wide -- safe!
"That was just funny," John Ryan Murphy said.
Ellsbury led off the second with a homer and had a sacrifice fly an inning later as the first batter to face reliever Tommy Hunter.
In the fifth, Ellsbury had a two-run double off Bud Norris, two batters after Murphy's grounder hit off second base and shot straight up, giving the backup catcher his third hit and second that nicked a base.
Hurt by the long ball all season, Tanaka yielded a homer to Chris Davis to start the second. J.J. Hardy and Manny Machado connected in the eighth to chase the Japanese star.
"You can survive giving up solo homers," Girardi said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: C Brian McCann was given the day off after starting the first five games since the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Chris Tillman (7-7) pitched one-hit ball for eight innings in his last start. This will be his fourth start this season against the Rays. He's 1-2 with 18 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings.
Yankees: Michael Pineda (9-6) starts the opener of New York's season high-tying 10-game road trip in Minnesota. Pineda has faced Torii Hunter three times and Hunter has two homers and five RBI. The Yankees will take on former teammate Phil Hughes (8-6).
SUN DAY
Many Little Leaguers could empathize with Gardner, when the Yankees left fielder lost Davis' flyball in the fourth despite wearing shades. While ranging back onto the warning track with his glove up, Gardner took several awkward shuffle steps and fell on his backside as the ball bounced off the dirt just a foot or two behind him and into the crowd. Gardner was initially given an error but postgame it was changed to a double.



Final
Series: Game 3 of 3

Orioles 3

(46-48, 19-30 away)

Yankees 9

(53-41, 30-17 home)





1:05PM,EDT,July 23,2015
Yankee Stadium, New York, New York 

123456789 R H E
BAL 010000020 3 5 0
NYY 41202000 - 9 13 0
W: M. Tanaka (7-3)
L: U. Jimenez (7-6)






View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Baltimore - Top of 1stSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Machado flied out to left.00
Paredes struck out swinging.00
Jones lined out to left.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Ellsbury singled to left center.00
Gardner walked, Ellsbury to second.00
Rodriguez walked, Ellsbury to third, Gardner to second.00
Teixeira struck out swinging.00
Beltrán flied out to left.00
Headley doubled to deep center, Ellsbury, Gardner and Rodriguez scored, Headley to third advancing on throw.03
Gregorius singled to right, Headley scored.04
Murphy reached on infield single to third, Gregorius to second.04
Drew struck out looking.04
4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 2ndSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Davis homered to right center (403 feet).14
Reimold grounded out to third.14
Wieters lined out to second.14
Schoop popped out to shortstop.14
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Ellsbury homered to right (408 feet).15
Gardner flied out to right.15
Rodriguez popped out to second.15
Teixeira walked.15
Beltrán grounded out to second.15
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 3rdSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Hardy grounded out to third.15
Lough flied out to center.15
Machado grounded out to pitcher.15
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Headley popped out to third.15
Gregorius singled to right.15
Murphy singled to right, Gregorius to second.15
Drew doubled to deep right, Gregorius scored, Murphy to third.16
Hunter relieved Jiménez.16
Ellsbury hit sacrifice fly to left, Murphy scored.17
Gardner struck out swinging.17
2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 4thSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Paredes struck out swinging.17
Jones struck out swinging.17
Davis hit a ground rule double to deep left.17
Reimold flied out to left.17
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Tommy Hunter pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Rodriguez flied out to right.17
Teixeira struck out swinging.17
Beltrán struck out swinging.17
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 5thSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Wieters grounded out to second.17
Schoop struck out swinging.17
Hardy grounded out to shortstop.17
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Bud Norris pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Norris relieved Hunter.17
Headley singled to left.17
Gregorius lined out to left.17
Murphy reached on infield single to shortstop, Headley to second.17
Drew flied out to right, Headley to third.17
Ellsbury doubled to left, Headley and Murphy scored.19
Gardner struck out swinging.19
2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 6thSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Lough lined out to pitcher.19
Machado fouled out to first.19
Paredes doubled to deep right.19
Jones popped out to second.19
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Bud Norris pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Rodriguez struck out looking.19
Teixeira flied out to center.19
Beltrán reached on infield single to first.19
Headley lined out to center.19
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 7thSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Davis struck out swinging.19
Reimold struck out swinging.19
Wieters struck out swinging.19
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Chaz Roe pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Roe relieved Norris.19
Gregorius singled to shallow left.19
Murphy grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Gregorius out at second.19
Drew grounded out to second.19
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 8thSCORE
Masahiro Tanaka pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Schoop fouled out to first.19
Hardy homered to left center (421 feet).29
Lough popped out to shortstop.29
Machado homered to left (377 feet).39
Capuano relieved Tanaka.39
Paredes flied out to left.39
2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Zach Britton pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Britton relieved Roe.39
Ellsbury grounded out to pitcher.39
Gardner grounded out to third.39
Rodriguez grounded out to second.39
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 9thSCORE
Chris Capuano pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Young in right field.39
Jones grounded out to second.39
Davis struck out looking.39
Pinder relieved Capuano.39
Reimold grounded out to pitcher.39
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors



Baltimore Orioles
HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Machado 3B41110014.297.366.533
Paredes DH40100219.293.324.461
Jones CF40000113.287.328.491
Davis 1B41210216.241.320.479
Reimold RF40000113.218.295.382
Wieters C30000115.243.272.411
Schoop 2B3000017.257.288.557
Hardy SS3111009.233.268.345
Lough LF30000012.220.261.339
Totals3235308118   
BATTING
2B: Davis (16, Tanaka); Paredes (13, Tanaka)
HR: Davis (21, 2nd inning off Tanaka 0 on, 0 Out); Hardy (6, 8th inning off Tanaka 0 on, 1 Out); Machado (21, 8th inning off Tanaka 0 on, 2 Out)
RBI: Davis (55), Hardy (26), Machado (51)
2-out RBI: Machado
Orioles RISP: 0-2 (Jones 0-1, Reimold 0-1)
Team LOB: 2
FIELDING
DP: 1 (Schoop-Hardy-Davis).

Game Information

StadiumYankee Stadium, New York, NY
Attendance46,875 (94.4% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:40
Weather81 degrees, sunny
Wind6 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Todd Tichenor, First Base - Tim Timmons, Second Base - Mike Everitt, Third Base - Tim Welke