Rodriguez allows 3 home runs and Oriole bats remain quiet in 5th straight loss, 6-1 to Yankees

BALTIMORE—For the second time in less than three weeks, the Orioles have a five-game losing streak. On Saturday, Oriole starter Grayson Rodriguez allowed three home runs, including a three-run homer in the first, and the New York Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-1, before a sellout crowd of 44,018 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles, whose starting pitching and hitting have slumped badly, didn’t’ get a strong start from Rodriguez (11-4). Nor did they hit off Luis Gil (10-5), who limited them to one run on five hits in six innings.

The Orioles (57-38) and Yankees (58-39) are tied for first place in the American League East, and with their two losses to New York, they’ve lost a series to an AL East opponent for the first time since April 2023. They hadn’t lost in 22 series.

During their five-game losing streak, the Orioles have scored just four runs and lost 13 of their last 21.

Just before the game, the Orioles placed outfielder Heston Kjerstad on the 7-day concussion injury list. Kjerstad was hit in the helmet in the ninth inning of Friday night’s game by New York reliever Clay Holmes. He was originally in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game, but was scratched and later put on the IL.

Rodriguez allowed four runs in the first, an RBI single to Gleyber Torres and a three-run home run to Austin Wells.

Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hit consecutive home runs in the fifth against Rodriguez. It was Soto’s 23^rd and Judge’s 34^th, which leads the major leagues.

Ryan O’Hearn tripled in the fourth and scored on Ryan Mountcastle’s grounder to short.