BALTIMORE — It was a night when both teams lamented a potentially devastating loss.
BALTIMORE — It was a night when both teams lamented a potentially devastating loss.
The satisfaction the Baltimore Orioles derived from beating the New York Yankees 11-3 Monday was dampened by the possibility that third baseman Manny Machado could be headed toward the disabled list with a sprained right knee.
“We’ll just wait for the results,” Machado said in front of his locker, where a pair of crutches stood. “Hopefully it is on the good side other than the bad.”
He will have an MRI on Tuesday morning determine the severity of the injury and whether a stint on the DL is necessary.
“There’s a chance we may have dodged a bullet,” manager Buck Showalter said.
The Yankees had a far different problem to cope with. Their third straight defeat dropped them a season-high seven games behind the AL East-leading Orioles with 44 games remaining.
“This is the team we have. We’ve got to go win with the guys that we have,” New York captain Derek Jeter said. “You can’t sit around and be negative. We have to stay optimistic. You’ve got to have a lot of faith in your teammates and then you’re going to get the job done.”
With each loss to the Orioles, the deficit increases. There are two games left in the series that concludes Wednesday.
“I really don’t think it makes a difference who you’re playing,” Jeter said. “We’ve got to find ways to win games. It’s not like you can exhale when you’re playing a team that’s not in front of us.”
Machado, a 2013 All-Star third baseman, sprained his right knee in the second inning while hitting a broken-bat grounder to shortstop. He dropped on his back in the batter’s box and needed help getting off the field.
He was replaced by Chris Davis, who came up in the fifth against Chris Capuano (1-3) with a man on and New York leading 3-2. With the count full, Davis hit a drive over the right-field scoreboard for his 21st home run.
“Chris Davis was the big at-bat in the game,” Capuano said. “Obviously Chris Davis is the guy you don’t want to beat you. I would’ve liked to have that pitch a little more down in the zone, probably expand it a bit, but I left it up and it caught too much of the plate.”
Nelson Cruz connected with a man on in the seventh and Jonathan Schoop added a three-run shot in the eighth to turn the game into a rout. Cruz now has 31 homers, tied for the major league lead with rookie Jose Abreu of the White Sox.
Bud Norris (10-7) gave up three runs and five hits in five innings, and the Orioles won despite committing three errors — including two on one wacky play.
With the score tied at 1 in the top of the second inning, Carlos Beltran walked and took third on a single by Chase Headley. With Martin Prado at the plate both runners broke. As Headley got caught in a rundown, Beltran strayed off third. He headed home after Machado got the ball, and the third baseman’s throw hit Beltran in the helmet. After Beltran crossed the plate, Headley came around to score after the ball bounced off the backstop.
Beltran and Headley received credit for a double steal, and Machado and Norris received errors on the play — Norris for dropping the ball in a desperate bid to tag the sliding Headley at the plate.
New York got one hit after the second inning, a double by Jeter.
MARLINS 6
CARDINALS 5
MIAMI — Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs and made a spectacular diving catch in right field to help the Marlins beat the Cardinals.
Marlins starter Tom Koehler (8-9) allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings.
Steve Cishek escaped the ninth to record his 30th save in 33 chances. With two outs, Cishek allowed an RBI triple by Kolten Wong and an RBI single by Matt Holliday allowing the Cardinals to pull to 6-5. Cishek struck out Matt Adams to end the game.
Jon Jay hit a two-run home run, Holliday had four hits, and Shelby Miller (8-9) allowed five runs in five innings for the Cardinals, who have lost three of four.
ROYALS 3, A’S 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals won their eighth straight game and took over the AL Central lead Monday night when Yordano Ventura outdueled Sonny Gray during a 3-2 win over Oakland Athletics.
The victory, coupled with a loss by Detroit in Pittsburgh, gave the long-suffering Royals a division lead at the latest point in a season since 2003.
Alcides Escobar drove in a run in the second inning before delivering a two-out single off Gray (12-6) in the seventh, putting Kansas City in front.
Kelvin Herrera (3-2) took over for Ventura and tossed spotless seventh inning.
PIRATES 11, TIGERS 6
PITTSBURGH — Travis Snider hit two home runs and Starling Marte had a bases-loaded triple as the Pirates coasted to a win against the Tigers.
The loss, coupled with Kansas City’s 3-2 win over Oakland, dropped the Tigers a half-game behind the now first-place Royals in the AL Central Division.
Justin Verlander (10-11) left after one inning with right shoulder soreness. He gave up five runs — four earned — on four hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Pittsburgh starter Jeff Locke (4-3) was responsible for four runs, eight hits and four walks in five-plus innings.
Martin hit his sixth home run of the year in the sixth inning, and Ike Davis followed with his eighth.
RAYS 7
RANGERS 0
ARLINGTON, Texas — Drew Smyly allowed three hits in his first win since the David Price trade, Matt Joyce had a two-run single and the Rays beat the Rangers.
Smyly (7-10) struck out nine in a career-high 7 2-3 innings to beat the Rangers for the second time this season.
Colby Lewis (8-9) couldn’t build on the momentum of his second career shutout, giving up five runs — two earned — in five innings.
BREWERS 3
CUBS 1
CHICAGO — Yovani Gallardo pitched seven sparkling innings and Khris Davis had a tiebreaking RBI double, leading the Brewers to a victory over the Cubs.
Gallardo bounced back nicely from a sluggish outing against San Francisco, allowing one run and six hits while improving to 9-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 career starts against Chicago.
Mark Reynolds connected for his 20th homer.
Coming off his worst start of the year, Jake Arrieta (6-4) gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings for the Cubs.
DODGERS 6, BRAVES 2
ATLANTA — Kevin Correia won in his debut with the Dodgers, outpitching All-Star Julio Teheran and leading Los Angeles over the slumping Braves.
Los Angeles has won four of six to increase its NL West lead to five games over idle San Francisco. The Braves have dropped 10 of 12 and fallen four games behind NL East-leading Washington.
Correia was tied for the major league lead in losses with a 5-13 record when he was traded from Minnesota to the Dodgers on Saturday. He excelled for Los Angeles, giving up one run and four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one.
Teheran (10-9) allowed five runs and nine hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Carl Crawford got three hits and drove in two runs for the Dodgers.
METS 5
PHILLIES 3
PHILADELPHIA — Slumping Anthony Recker hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer, Jonathon Niese pitched seven sharp innings and the Mets beat the Phillies.
Darin Ruf hit a two-run shot for the last-place Phillies.
Niese (6-8) gave up two runs on five hits to earn his first win since June 28.
David Buchanan (6-6) allowed three runs and four hits in six-plus innings.
Recker was in an 0-for-18 skid when he connected off reliever Justin De Fratus.
TWINS 4
ASTROS 2
HOUSTON — Joe Mauer had two hits in his return from the disabled list, including a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning, to help the Twins to a win over the Astros.
A pair of walks by Josh Fields (2-5) left runners at first and second with two outs in the ninth when Mauer’s groundball single to left field scored Jordan Schafer. Brian Dozier also scored on the play.
Brian Duensing (3-2) got the last two outs of the eighth inning for the win.
Chris Carter and Jose Altuve both had solo homers for Houston and Jake Marisnick had a career-high four hits.
Tommy Milone allowed eight hits and two runs in his debut with the Twins after being traded from Oakland for Sam Fuld on July 31.