Machado's hot hitting vs. Yanks not enough

NEW YORK -- Surging Manny Machado doubled in a pair of runs, but the Orioles -- winners of Friday's 14-inning contest -- were denied a third consecutive win in the Bronx as they fell, 8-3, to the Yankees on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
The day game -- mere hours after Pedro Álvarez put the O's on top in Friday's five-hour contest -- saw Orioles starter Chris Tillman charged with five earned runs over 5 1/3 innings and still searching for his first quality start this season.
"Mechanically, I feel better. My pitches are better. I think the [opposing] offense will let me know," Tillman said when asked how different things are for him this year than in a rough 2017. "The results haven't really been there yet. But I feel much more confident with what I'm able to do. I'm able to make pitches, and even when I miss, I'm able to get back on track. Just got to keep going."

The Orioles, in a two-run hole after two innings, tied it up with one swing of Machado's bat. The shortstop, who reached base six times on Friday -- which included his first two homers of the season -- doubled down the left-field line to score a pair of runs off Yankees starter Sonny Gray. The O's added a third run in the top of the fourth -- on Alvarez's double -- off of Gray, who lasted six innings.

But Tillman, who went four-plus innings against Houston in his season debut, couldn't keep the Yankees' bats at bay. Tied at 3, Miguel Andújar lifted a sixth-inning sacrifice fly before Austin Romine blooped a single to shallow right field that tipped first baseman Chris Davis' glove, giving the Yanks a two-run lead.
"I thought Chris was better today," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "And there's still another level where we know he can go to. We really had a need to get some length out of our starter today, and Chris provided that and kept us engaged in the game."
Tillman walked four and gave up eight hits over his outing. Jimmy Yacabonis, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to the game, was charged with three earned runs in the seventh in his season debut.
While Tillman agreed with Showalter that Saturday's outing was better than his last time out, he was hoping for a little more length, given the situation he knew the relievers were in.
"That's a big part of baseball, is picking up the bullpen when they are down. Last night was such a long game, you need to get deep into that game," Tillman said. "I was one or two pitches from getting really deep into that game."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Almost Alvarez again: Alvarez, who had the game-winning grand slam on Friday, almost came up clutch again. But Jace Peterson, who came up for the Yanks following Friday's game, had a sixth-inning running catch that saved two runs. Peterson had a good read on Alvarez's two-out liner toward the left-field corner, snaring it to freeze Gray's line and preserve the tied score at the time.

O's K in Clutch: Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to the bullpen after Gray's 86-pitch effort, and the skipper was back on the mound three batters later, as Chance Sisco stroked a one-out single and Trey Mancini doubled off Adam Warren. In came David Robertson, who has made a living out of wriggling free of those types of spots. Robertson froze Machado looking at a 93.3-mph cutter, then struck out Jonathan Schoop on an 85.5-mph curve.

"Every time you can score a run, it's a big moment," Schoop said. "We have to get better with runners in scoring position and try to drive guys in, especially with a good team over there. Today, we didn't do it."
QUOTABLE
"It's way too early. He was better today than last time. I'm hoping he's a little better next time. You could tell he had a little better feel for things in a very cold day, so I'm hoping it gets better as we go." -- Showalter, on evaluating Tillman's improvement from last season
WHAT'S NEXT
Mike Wright Jr. held his own against Houston, hanging tough with Justin Verlander, going five innings and allowing three runs. He'll get another chance to show he belongs in the rotation in Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET series finale against the Yankees.
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