BALTIMORE -- They are hesitant to admit it with so much of the schedule remaining, but the frustration that the Yankees experienced while spinning their wheels in the American League East race most of this summer has broken in favor of optimism. With a strong trip in the books and another game shaved in the standings, catching the Red Sox no longer seems impossible.
Luke Voit (Louis) hit a two-run homer and American League Rookie of the Year contender Miguel Andujar (Papa) smashed a two-run double to support Luis Severino (Sevy) as the Yankees completed a four-game sweep of the Orioles with a 5-3 victory on Sunday evening, concluding Players' Weekend at Camden Yards. As Boston stumbles, New York's eighth win in nine games closed the division deficit to six games.
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"I think everybody understands we need to play hard," Severino said. "We're not thinking about the Red Sox. We're thinking about the Yankees winning games. I think we have a great record, and if we continue playing the way we're playing right now, we're going to be good."
Working on seven days' rest, Severino showed flashes of his early-season brilliance by striking out eight and scattering four hits, but the right-hander was removed after 5 2/3 innings -- the eighth time in nine starts that he has been unable to finish the sixth. Yankees manager Aaron Boone raved about seeing the dominant fastball that helped Severino compile a 1.98 ERA through his first 17 starts.
"The velocity was there, the life," Boone said. "The ability to pitch at the bottom of the zone and the top. We saw guys having to cheat to catch up with it. They were able to foul a lot of pitches off, so it drove his pitch count up, and he was a little in and out of his slider, which I thought came around for him late. The fastball all night had that life."
Jonathan Villar (Villi) put the O's on the board with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Trey Mancini hit a sixth-inning homer off Severino, who walked two in a 107-pitch effort while becoming the first pitcher to reach 17 wins this season.

"It's always good to win," said Severino (17-6). "We always struggle a little bit against this team, and to come here and win four games, it's something very good. The guys are hitting. We're playing good baseball right now, and I hope it will continue."
Voit put the Yankees on the board against Dylan Bundy (Dilly) with his third homer of the weekend, a second-inning blast to right field.
"It's like Christmas morning, honestly," Voit said. "It's great for my confidence. This is the first time I've gotten an actual opportunity in the big leagues. I've always been a bench player. It feels good to get some consistent at-bats. I know I can hit, and I'm just glad Aaron is giving me a chance. I'm just having fun, and that's the name of the game."
• Another Yanks rookie hitting his way into lineup

Andujar -- who leads all big league rookies in doubles (37), RBIs (72) and extra-base hits (60) -- added a two-run double off Bundy in the third, and Voit charged home on a sixth-inning wild pitch by reliever Cody Carroll (CC) to score the Yankees' fifth run.
"This was really nice," Boone said. "Tonight, honestly, I thought we were dragging a little bit, just with the road trip and the doubleheader yesterday. For us to be able to grind that win out … I think a couple of guys really grinded out there."
SOUND SMART
Andujar went 9-for-19 this series, recording multiple hits in all four contests. Sunday marked his eighth three-hit game and 44th multihit game of the season. The latter mark leads all Major League rookies and ranks eighth in the big leagues.

UP NEXT
The Yankees begin a seven-game homestand on Monday with a 7:05 p.m. ET opener of a three-game set against the White Sox. Coming off a strong effort against the Marlins in Miami, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (9-4, 3.90 ERA) will try for his second consecutive victory. Left-hander Carlos Rodon (5-3, 2.71) will be on the mound for Chicago.