Yankees allow eight runs in 7th, lose to Orioles as five-game winning streak ends

 A Yankees bullpen that had been the best in the majors this season was due for the inevitable hiccup.

It occurred at an inopportune time – as these things usually do – Wednesday night.

Leading by four entering the seventh, first Nestor Cortes and then Jimmy Cordero flushed the lead and then some as the Orioles scored eight runs in the inning, sending the Yankees to a 9-6 loss in front 39,455 at the Stadium that snapped a five-game winning streak.

Cortes had a terrific outing going when he took the mound in the seventh at just 77 pitches, leading 5-1 courtesy of a pair of home runs by Gleyber Torres and a two-run shot by Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

But Cortes, whose struggles this season can be mostly chalked up to difficulties he’s had in the later innings, walked Anthony Santander and allowed a sharp single to Austin Hays. With Cordero warming in the bullpen, Adam Frazier sent a 1-and-1 fastball off the foul pole in right for his sixth homer to cut Baltimore's deficit to 5-4.

“It happened quick,” said Cortes, whose ERA ticked up to 5.30 after he allowed four runs, five hits and two walks over six-plus innings. “I don’t think [the final line] reflects the way I threw.”

The Yankees (30-21) brought in Cordero, who had not been scored on in nine outings at home this season and had a 2.14 ERA overall in 19 games. But the righthander allowed three straight hits, the last of those a two-run double by pinch hitter Gunnar Henderson that made it 6-5. That ended a scoreless inning streak of 22 1/3 by the bullpen, which brought an MLB-best 2.80 ERA into the game.

“He’s been really good for us,” Aaron Boone said of Cordero. “Obviously, tonight was not his night.”

After Cordero walked Adley Rutschman, righty Albert Abreu came on and allowed a sacrifice fly to Ryan Mountcastle that made it 7-5. Then RBI singles by Santander and Hays made it 9-5. The Orioles (32-17) sent 12 to the plate in the inning.

“The bullpen has been incredible so to see that’s a little odd,” Cortes said. “But it’s going to happen.”

The Yankees, who rallied from 4-0 and 5-4 deficits in Tuesday night’s 6-5 victory in 10 innings, loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the seventh Wednesday but only got one run on an RBI single by Anthony Rizzo that made it 9-6.

“That was tough [the eight-run seventh] but at the same I still thought [we were] going to come back,” Kiner-Falefa said. “That’s a good feeling on this team, even though we’re down late, we never feel we’re out of the game.”

Orioles righthander Tyler Wells, 3-1 with a 2.94 ERA entering the day, allowed five runs (season-high), five hits, including three homers, and two walks over five innings in which he struck out eight.

The Yankees, who outhit the Orioles 10-6, have hit 27 home runs in their last 12 games and 36 in their last 16.

Both pitchers’ nights started far better than they ended as each retired the first seven batters faced.

Kiner-Falefa ended Wells’ streak with one out in the bottom of the third when he skied one over Cedric Mullins’ head in straightaway center for a triple. Kyle Higashioka struck out swinging at a slider but, Torres cracked a 1-and-0 cutter and plunked it off the top of the Orioles’ bullpen in left-center, the two-run shot making it 2-0.

Mountcastle’s 11th homer, a shot in the fourth, made it 2-1.

After Cortes turned a clean top of the fifth, his offense added on in the bottom half. Anthony Volpe worked a leadoff walk and came in when Kiner-Falefa hammered a 1-and-0 cutter into the seats in left, his third homer making it 4-1. After Higashioka struck out, Torres golfed a 2-and-2 changeup down the line and just over the wall in left to make it 5-1.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.