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 Sunday he was at the forefront of their game-winning rally.
Murphy tied a career-high with three hits, including a tiebreaking
two-run double with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, and the
Yankees salvaged the finale of their three-game series with a 5-3
victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Murphy came up after Baltimore reliever Brian Matusz had walked in
the tying run, but rebounded to strike out two batters and had a
chance to get out of the inning.
Matusz fell behind 2-0 and Murphy lined a double off the glove of a
diving third baseman Manny Machado and designated hitter Alex
Rodriguez and first baseman Mark Teixeira scored.
"I guess any time you hit the ball that way you expect it to be
caught," Murphy said of Machado. "It was a tough play for him,
diving down the line. I hit it hard."
In addition to his hits, Murphy guided four New York pitchers
through an Orioles lineup that had produced 20 runs in the first two
games of the series.
"He did an outstanding job," New York manager Joe Girardi said of
Murphy. "He's a big reason we won today."
Second baseman Stephen Drew added two hits for first-place New York
(34-28), which snapped a three-game losing streak.
"You don't want to get swept. It's a division opponent," Girardi
said. "We did not play well the first two days. We played much
better today."
Left fielder Nolan Reimold drove in two runs for the Orioles
(31-31), who were looking to win seven straight for the first time
since an eight-game streak in 2005.
Three New York relievers combined on 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Chasen
Shreve (3-1) was credited with win after pitching 1 1/3 innings,
Justin Wilson struck out three in two innings and Dellin Betances
pitched the ninth for his third save.
New York starter Adam Warren was lifted with two on and two outs in
the fifth. He gave up three runs on six hits, striking out five and
walking three.
Baltimore's Mike Wright (2-2) struggled in his fifth Major League
start. Filling in for the injured Miguel Gonzalez, Wright allowed
five runs on six hits over four-plus innings. He walked three and
struck out two.
The Yankees scored three runs on one hit in the fifth. After Wright
walked three straight hitters to open the inning, he was lifted in
favor of Matusz.
"I was throwing some good pitches and they kept fouling them off and
kept battling," Wright said. "They ended up having the upper hand."
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Matusz, in his first game back after serving an eight-game
suspension for having a foreign substance on his arm, walked right
fielder Garrett Jones to force in the tying run.
After two strikeouts, upped stepped Murphy.
"It was a two-seamer that was meant to be away and it cut right back
over the plate," Matusz said of Murphy's hit. "It just cut. (I'd)
like to have that pitch back."
Murphy, spelling catcher Brian McCann in a day game following a
night game, began the day hitting .208 and raised his batting
average 42 points with his second career three-hit game.
Early on, the Yankees wasted no time against Wright. Left fielder
Brett Gardner led off the game with a single and scored on a two-out
double by Teixeira.
Baltimore took the lead in its half of the first. After two singles
and a walk loaded the bases with one out, Reimold singled off Warren
to make it 2-1.
Gardner's sacrifice fly scored shortstop Didi Gregorius to tie it in
the second.
Warren retired eight straight, but Reimold opened the fourth with a
walk and later scored on a two-out double by catcher Caleb Joseph,
giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead.
NOTES: Baltimore 3B Manny Machado went 1-for-3 and extended his
hitting streak to eight games. He is batting .455 (15-for-33) in
that span. ... The Orioles recalled RHP Tyler Wilson from Triple-A
Norfolk and optioned LHP T.J. McFarland to their top farm club. He
threw 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. ... Yankees RHP Ivan Nova
(right ulnar collateral reconstruction) made his second rehab start
Saturday, allowing one earned run over six innings for Triple-A
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. ... Yankees OF Carlos Beltran was given the
day off.
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reserved.]
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