Yankees manager Aaron Boone impressed by Orioles: 'They're legit'
Baltimore Orioles' Adam Frazier hits a two-run double during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, in New York. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
It wasn’t that long ago when the Yankees used to take the field against the Baltimore Orioles and feel pretty good about their chances to come away with a victory.
Last year, the Yankees went 12-7 vs. Baltimore. In 2021, it was 11-8. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Yankees went 7-3. And back in 2019, the Yankees won an astounding 17 of 19 meetings.
But the Baltimore team that came into Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night for the first of a three-game series had the second-best record in baseball at 31-16. The Yankees (29-20) were in the odd position of looking up in the standings instead of down to see the Orioles.
The Yankees won two of three from the Orioles in April at Camden Yards. All five teams in the AL East are over .500, with the Rays in first at 35-14 going into Tuesday.
The Orioles had been bad for a number of years.
From 2018-2021 (excluding 2020), Baltimore lost 115, 108 and 110 games. The Orioles’ renaissance began last season, when they went 83-79. It was their first winning season since 2016, when Buck Showalter was the manager.
“They're really good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I mean, they're a really good team. They have a really good offense. They've got balance, with really good switch hitters in there. Left, right. They got athleticism. They run the bases. They can hit the ball out of the ballpark. So it's a frontline offense to me.
“They've got some really good defenders out there as well. Their starting rotation has given them a chance to win games each and every day and we've seen a bullpen that's been just about as good as anyone's out there with an especially dynamic back end of the bullpen. So they're legit. They're a force to be reckoned with and another good team in front of us that we’ve got to play right now. If we're going to go out and get victories, we're going to have to play well.”
The Yankees have been playing well, too, having just come home from a 6-1 road trip. The Orioles spent last weekend in Toronto, sweeping a three-game series against the Blue Jays.
Both teams were off on Monday, which was especially welcome for the Orioles, who used their entire bench and five relievers to beat the Blue Jays on Sunday, 8-3, in 11 innings.
“Especially in this division, games are hard-fought,” outfielder Terrin Vavra said after the game, according to MLB.com. “It takes everybody in the clubhouse to get a win, and today was just a prime example of that.”
Said manager Brandon Hyde: “I emptied the whole bench. We used every pitcher we had available. So to get a sweep on the road is huge.”
The Orioles went into Tuesday with an MLB-high 18 comeback wins. They had won 22 of their last 31 games. Since June 1, Baltimore was 93-65, which translates into a 95-win pace over a full season.
The Orioles asked for patience from their fans as they went into deep tear-down mode, and it finally seems to be paying off.
“It’s impressive,” Boone said. “When you tear it down, and you get it right, this is what can happen. I don't even know if I look at it as a few years ago (the Orioles were bad). They’re a problem. They're a really good team. That's how I look at it. Credit to them for making some really good decisions along the way, developing a really good farm system. You've seen those pieces come up and become contributing players and/or impact players. So they're good. They're really good.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
