Cowser a hit in his MLB debut as Kremer pitches the scuffling Orioles past the Yankees 6-3

Baltimore Orioles' Dean Kremer throws to a New York Yankees batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 5, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — Touted prospect Colton Cowser hit an RBI single in his major league debut and scored the go-ahead run when fellow rookie Jordan Westburg followed with a two-run triple, sending Dean Kremer and the Baltimore Orioles past the New York Yankees 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Kremer (9-4) struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings of four-hit ball. Ryan O’Hearn lined a two-run homer in the ninth, and All-Star relievers Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista combined to get the final six outs as the second-place Orioles won for only the second time in eight games.

Josh Donaldson and Anthony Volpe homered for the Yankees, who had won the first two games of this four-game series between AL East playoff contenders. Kyle Higashioka had an RBI single.

Called up from the minors to make a spot start necessitated by last Friday’s rainout in St. Louis, rookie Randy Vásquez gave New York five excellent innings and was removed with a 2-0 lead after throwing 75 pitches.

Cedric Mullins doubled with one out in the sixth against left-hander Nick Ramirez (0-1) and went to third on Aaron Hicks’ sharp single that was stopped by a diving Donaldson behind third base.

Cowser, just called up from Triple-A Norfolk, singled to right field for his first career hit, chasing Ramirez. Westburg, another top prospect who was brought up from the minors late last month, tripled on Michael King’s first pitch past a diving Jake Bauers in left field to put Baltimore in front 3-2.

With the infield in, Westburg then scored ahead of Volpe’s throw to the plate on Adam Frazier’s RBI grounder to shortstop.

New York began the day with the best bullpen ERA in the majors.

Volpe’s solo homer off Cano made it 4-3 in the eighth, but Bautista got four outs for his 23rd save.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: All-Star LF Austin Hays (bruised hip) sat out a third consecutive game. Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Hays is getting better every day and might be available off the bench before hopefully returning to the lineup in a day or two.

Yankees: CF Harrison Bader was given a planned night off after getting hit on the left wrist by a pitch Tuesday. … OF Billy McKinney was out of the starting lineup again after fouling a ball off his toe recently. But he reached on an infield single as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and remained in the game in left field. New York manager Aaron Boone said McKinney would hopefully return to the starting lineup Thursday night. … DH/OF Willie Calhoun (left quadriceps strain) has started to swing the bat a little bit but there’s no timeline for his return and it won’t be until after the All-Star break.

UP NEXT

Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish (4-4, 3.58 ERA) faces RHP Luis Severino (1-3, 6.30) in the finale of the four-game series Thursday night.

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