BALTIMORE — Despite the Orioles residing in the basement of the AL East through the first month of the season, Aaron Boone described them as “dangerous” on Monday afternoon.
Also dangerous: walking the first two batters of an inning and then leaving a sweeper over the heart of the plate against a cleanup hitter.
That is the path that Will Warren took in the third inning Monday night, and it ended predictably with a three-run shot that sank his outing and the Yankees in a 4-3 loss to the scuffling Orioles at Camden Yards.
“Never trying to start off the inning with back-to-back walks,” Warren said. “Obviously [Ryan] O’Hearn did the damage on a pitch that didn’t get quite in. Sucks.”
Coming off a doubleheader sweep of the Blue Jays on Sunday, the Yankees (17-12) could not keep that momentum alive against the Orioles (11-17), who had lost six of seven coming into the night.
Will Warren delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Monday, April 28, 2025.AP
While Warren gave up four runs across 3 ¹/₃ innings — thanks in large part to O’Hearn’s three-run homer that followed back-to-back full-count walks in the third inning — the Yankees lineup was held in check early before a late comeback attempt came up just short.
Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, not known as a strikeout artist in his first five outings as a big leaguer, sure looked like one on Monday night. He had struck out nine in 28 innings before punching out eight across five innings and racking up 17 swings and misses to stifle the Yankees.
“We pressured him. We had some chances,” manager Aaron Boone said of his lineup that left the bases loaded in the first inning and stranded two more in the third. “We had some chances. Just couldn’t break through on him. I don’t think he made the big mistake, where he’s got hurt with some slug (six home runs) here in his first few starts. I didn’t really see that miss. He was in and around the edges, and then as he went, I thought his split was really good.”
The Yankees scratched one run across in the seventh inning on a fielder’s choice by Aaron Judge, who went 2-for-5 to lower his average to .405.
Then with one out in the eighth, Anthony Volpe, on his 24th birthday, and Austin Wells hit back-to-back RBI doubles to make it a 4-3 game. But Jasson Domínguez struck out against lefty reliever Gregory Soto, with his struggles from the right side continuing, and Oswaldo Cabrera (who had pinch hit for Oswald Peraza an inning earlier) grounded out to end the threat.
Devin Williams, making his first appearance since being removed from the closer role, retired the side on 14 pitches in the bottom of the eighth to keep the Yankees within striking distance.
Ryan O’Hearn #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning with Adley Rutschman #35 during a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 28, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.Getty Images
But Orioles closer Félix Bautista shut down the top of the Yankees order in the top of the ninth to end it.
The Orioles’ first run off Warren came in the second inning, when Ramón Laureano hit a two-out, RBI double on a fly ball that center fielder Trent Grisham thought was going to fade instead of cut as it got over his head.
And while Warren wanted the decisive pitch to O’Hearn further inside in the third inning, he was more frustrated by the two walks that preceded it to Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. The young right-hander has walked 12 batters through six starts and 24 innings while posting a 5.63 ERA.
New York Yankees’ Paul Goldschmidt reacts after striking out swinging against Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 28, 2025.AP
Will Warren #98 of the New York Yankees pitches in there first inning during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles.Getty Images
There have been stretches of good mixed in — like retiring three straight, including a pair of strikeouts, after putting runners on second and third in the first inning, or striking out three straight after O’Hearn’s homer in the third.
