NEW YORK -- Who's on first wasn't an Abbott and Costello question for Bryan Mitchell. With New York short on pitchers, the Yankees reliever played there for the first time since high school.
After throwing a scoreless ninth inning, Mitchell moved to first and allowed one foul popup to fall for an error in the 10th, then caught another. He returned to the mound in relief of closer Aroldis Chapman to start the 11th and gave up run-scoring singles to Mark Trumbo and Welington Castillo in the Baltimore Orioles' 7-4 win Sunday, which stopped New York's winning streak at four.
"The whole series was kind of crazy," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said.
New York overcame a 9-1 deficit to win Friday's series opener 14-11 in 10 innings, then romped 12-4 Saturday. With Adam Warren and Tommy Layne unavailable after outings in the middle game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi felt a need to improvise. So when Mitchell reached the dugout in the middle of the ninth, pitching coach Larry Rothschild asked him a question out of right field: Would he move to first if the game went into extras, allowing him to return to the mound later?
"All right. I'll go get a glove. I'll be ready," Mitchell remembered responding.
Mitchell retrieved one of first baseman's Greg Bird's mitts from the clubhouse and became the first Yankees pitcher to play another position since Billy Martin petulantly put Ron Guidry in center for the finish of the Pine Tar Game against Kansas City on Aug. 18, 1983.
Sure enough, the leadoff batter hit the ball to Mitchell -- Castillo's foul pop just in front of first base. Castillo singled after Mitchell's error prolonging the at-bat, and Mitchell rebounded to glove Jonathan Schoop's foul pop for the second out -- earning a standing ovation.
"I was praying for him, to be honest with you," Yankees reliever Dellin Betances said.
Mitchell smiled at his new-found fielding ability.
"I guess I just went back too far and the ball had a lot of spin. I just never actually got there," he said. "Luckily, the next one was a little closer to me."
Girardi wasn't sure whether Mitchell ever had played first.
"I didn't ask," he said. "I have a strikeout pitcher on the mound. You don't assume there's going to be too many groundballs over there."
Even in the 11th, when he was back on the mound, Mitchell tried to keep making fielding plays.
"All of a sudden he started running after every popup," Girardi said, shaking his head.
New York's unconventional move was thwarted by Logan Verrett (1-0), who escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 10th. Castillo scooped shortstop J.J. Hardy's one-hop throw home on Starlin Castro's grounder to force Austin Romine, and the reliever struck out hot-hitting rookie Aaron Judge.
"I thought to myself this is an opportunity for me to have a big moment here at Yankee Stadium and to put a stamp on my Orioles debut," said Verrett, brought up from the minors on Sunday morning.
Castillo kept his left foot on the plate as Romine slid in with his left shoulder.
"It's instinct," Castillo said.
New York stranded 16 runners in a 4-hour 37-minute marathon. Didi Gregorius' two-run, two-out single off Donnie Hart tied the score 4-all in the ninth before Chris Carter took a called third strike with runners at second and third. Orioles manager Buck Showalter was ejected for arguing a balk call on Darren O'Day that set up Gregorius' single.
"Same thing he's been doing for eight or nine years," Showalter said. "Think we call it over-officiating in basketball."
Joey Ricard singled with one out in the 11th against Mitchell (1-1), stole second and, after an intentional walk to Manny Machado, scored on Trumbo's two-out single. Castillo singled for a 6-4 lead, and Machado got into a rundown and came home when Chase Headley bobbled the ball at third.
Verrett finished with only the second 1-2-3 inning for Orioles pitchers. Baltimore starter Wade Miley went to seven three-ball counts in the first three innings, when he threw 79 pitches and stranded seven runners. He walked five or more for the third time in five starts, allowing two runs, eight hits and five walks in five innings.
"They let us hang around a little bit there early," Showalter said. "They had a chance to open some things up and Wade didn't let it happen. That will not go forgotten. He didn't implode and let the game get away from us."
A year after an 8-14 April start, New York ended the first month tied with the Orioles for the AL East lead at 15-8.
"Definitely happy with where we're at," Gardner said.
EYEBALLS
New York's telecasts on YES averaged 330,000 viewers in the New York designated market area through Friday, up from 237,000 in April last year (when Comcast did not carry YES) and 251,000 in April 2015. It is the highest viewership since an average of 341,000 in April 2014, Derek Jeter's last season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: 1B Chris Davis was removed from the starting lineup about an hour before gametime because of a sore right elbow -- he was 0 for 7 with five strikeouts since he was hit on the elbow Friday by a pitch from New York's CC Sabathia. Davis played first in the 11th. ... Closer Zach Britton, on the DL since April 16 with a strained left forearm, pitched a scoreless, one-hit inning Sunday in his second rehab appearance for Double-A Bowie, throwing eight of 11 pitches for strikes.
Yankees: C Gary Sanchez, who hasn't played since April 8 because of a strained right biceps, could be activated for the series at the Chicago Cubs starting Friday. He is to start a rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (3-1) starts Monday's series opener at Boston and RHP Rick Porcello (1-3).
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (2-1) is on the mound Monday against Toronto and RHP Marco Estrada (0-1).
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball



Final in 11
Series: Game 3 of 3

Orioles 7

(15-8, 7-5 away)

Yankees 4

(15-8, 10-2 home)





1:05PM,EDT,April 30,2017
Yankee Stadium, New York,New York 

1234567891011 R H E
BAL 00100300003 7 11 0
NYY 10100000200 4 13 2
W: L. Verrett (1-0)
L: B. Mitchell (1-1)





View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Baltimore - Top of 1stSCORE
Jordan Montgomery pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Rickard struck out swinging.00
Jones struck out swinging.00
Machado flied out to right.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Wade Miley pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Gardner singled to right.00
Hicks grounded into double play, pitcher to second to first, Gardner out at second.00
Holliday homered to left center (430 feet).01
Castro walked.01
Judge walked, Castro to second.01
Headley struck out swinging.01
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 2ndSCORE
Jordan Montgomery pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Trumbo flied out to left.01
Castillo struck out swinging.01
Mancini flied out to right.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Wade Miley pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Gregorius singled to right center.01
Carter doubled to deep right, Gregorius to third.01
Higashioka struck out swinging.01
Gardner struck out swinging.01
Hicks struck out swinging.01
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 3rdSCORE
Jordan Montgomery pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Schoop flied out to right.01
Gentry reached on infield single to shortstop.01
Gentry stole second.01
Hardy walked.01
Rickard struck out swinging, Gentry to third on wild pitch by Montgomery.01
Jones singled to right, Gentry scored, Hardy to third.11
Machado walked, Jones to second.11
Trumbo struck out swinging.11
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Wade Miley pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Holliday flied out to center.11
Castro walked.11
Judge walked, Castro to second.11
Headley singled to right center, Castro scored, Judge to second.12
Gregorius singled to right, Judge to third, Headley to second.12
Carter struck out swinging.12
Higashioka popped out to second.12
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 4thSCORE
Jordan Montgomery pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Castillo struck out swinging.12
Mancini flied out to center.12
Schoop safe at first on throwing error by third baseman Headley.12
Gentry struck out swinging.12
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Errors
New York - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Wade Miley pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Gardner bunt grounded out to pitcher.12
Hicks reached on infield single to first.12
Holliday walked, Hicks to second.12
Castro grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Holliday out at second.12
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 5thSCORE
Jordan Montgomery pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Hardy grounded out to first.12
Rickard singled to left.12
Jones grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Rickard out at second.12
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Wade Miley pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Judge singled to left.12
Headley lined out to second.12
Gregorius struck out swinging.12
Carter flied out to right.12
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 6thSCORE
Jordan Montgomery pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Machado walked.12
Trumbo walked, Machado to second.12
Holder relieved Montgomery.12
Castillo singled to center, Machado to third, Trumbo to second.12
Mancini grounded into fielder's choice to third, Machado scored, Castillo out at second, Trumbo to third.22
Schoop doubled to center, Trumbo scored, Mancini to third.32
Gentry grounded out to shortstop, Mancini scored.42
Hardy walked.42
Rickard lined out to right.42
3 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Mychal Givens pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Givens relieved Miley.42
Higashioka grounded out to third.42
Gardner lined out to left.42
Hicks lined out to center.42
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 7thSCORE
Tyler Clippard pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Clippard relieved Holder.42
Jones reached on infield single to third.42
Machado flied out to right.42
Trumbo struck out swinging.42
Castillo grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Jones out at second.42
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Mychal Givens pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Holliday grounded out to second.42
Castro singled to right center.42
Judge struck out swinging.42
Headley struck out swinging.42
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 8thSCORE
Dellin Betances pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Betances relieved Clippard.42
Mancini struck out swinging.42
Schoop struck out looking.42
Gentry walked.42
Gentry stole second.42
Hardy struck out swinging.42
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Brad Brach pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Brach relieved Givens.42
Gregorius grounded out to second.42
Carter singled to right.42
Ellsbury hit for Higashioka.42
Ellsbury popped out to second.42
Gardner struck out swinging.42
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 9thSCORE
Bryan Mitchell pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Romine catching.42
Mitchell relieved Betances.42
Rickard grounded out to shortstop.42
Jones singled to left.42
Machado struck out swinging.42
Trumbo flied out to left.42
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 9thSCORE
Darren O'Day pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
O'Day relieved Brach.42
Hicks fouled out to catcher.42
Holliday singled to center.42
Castro grounded into fielder's choice to third, Holliday out at second.42
Judge walked, Castro to second.42
Castro to third, Judge to second on balk by O'Day.42
Manager B Showalter ejected by S Scheurwater in the 9th.42
Headley walked.42
Hart relieved O'Day.42
Gregorius singled to right center, Castro and Judge scored, Headley to third.44
Gregorius to second on fielder's indifference.44
Carter struck out looking.44
2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 10thSCORE
Aroldis Chapman pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Mitchell at first base.44
Chapman relieved Mitchell.44
Castillo continues to bat after dropped foul ball by first baseman Mitchell.44
Castillo singled to center.44
Mancini struck out swinging.44
Schoop fouled out to first.44
Gentry struck out swinging.44
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors
New York - Bottom of 10thSCORE
Logan Verrett pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Verrett relieved Hart.44
Romine singled to shallow right.44
Gardner sacrificed into fielder's choice to pitcher, Romine to second.44
Hicks sacrificed to pitcher, Romine to third, Gardner to second.44
Bird hit for Chapman.44
Bird hit by pitch.44
Castro grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Romine out at home, Gardner to third, Bird to second.44
Judge struck out swinging.44
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Baltimore - Top of 11thSCORE
Bryan Mitchell pitching for New YorkBALNYY
Bird at first base.44
Mitchell relieved Chapman.44
Hardy fouled out to first.44
Rickard singled to right.44
Jones lined out to right.44
Rickard stole second.44
Machado intentionally walked.44
Trumbo singled to center, Rickard scored, Machado to second.54
Castillo singled to right, Machado and Trumbo scored.74
Mancini flied out to right.74
3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 11thSCORE
Logan Verrett pitching for BaltimoreBALNYY
Davis at first base.74
Headley struck out swinging.74
Gregorius flied out to left.74
Torreyes hit for Mitchell.74
Torreyes grounded out to third.74
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors




Baltimore Orioles

HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Rickard LF61200227.222.263.222
Jones CF60310128.309.369.479
Machado 3B32003122.224.343.424
Trumbo DH52111224.202.250.298
Castillo C60310230.314.333.443
Mancini 1B61010220.216.245.549
Davis 1B
0000000.238.337.413
Schoop 2B50110117.288.326.538
Gentry RF41111220.194.297.323
Hardy SS30002121.195.225.273
Totals447116714209   
BATTING
2B: Schoop (5, Holder)
RBI: Jones (11), Mancini (12), Schoop (16), Gentry (4), Trumbo (11), Castillo (6)
2-out RBI: Jones, Trumbo, Castillo
GIDP: Jones
Orioles RISP: 5-11 (Gentry 0-1, Rickard 0-2, Schoop 1-1, Mancini 0-1, Castillo 2-2, Trumbo 1-2, Jones 1-1, Hardy 0-1)
Team LOB: 11
BASERUNNING
SB: Gentry 2 (3, 2nd base off Montgomery/Higashioka, 2nd base off Betances/Higashioka); Rickard (1, 2nd base off Mitchell/Romine)
FIELDING
DP: 2 (Miley-Schoop-Mancini, Hardy-Schoop-Mancini).

Game Notes

MGR SHOWALTER EJECTED BOT 9 (ARGUING BALK)

Game Information

StadiumYankee Stadium, New York, NY
Attendance41,022 (82.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time4:37
Weather61 degrees, cloudy
Wind10 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Stu Scheurwater, First Base - Jim Reynolds, Second Base - Brian Knight, Third Base - Lance Barrett