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Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (pictured) was on his way to his second strong performance in a row when he grabbed at his side and exited Sunday's game with a right oblique strain. That's very bad news for a team that already has called on four Triple-A starters to fill in the fifth slot in the rotation and replace injured Miguel Gonzalez. It was a tough week already, after so-so outings by Jason Hammel, Freddy Garcia and Steve Johnson, and that was reflected in the combined numbers. The rotation posted a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA and averaged just five innings per start. Even though the team managed to go 4-2 in those games, this is starting to get scary.
Grade: D (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images /May 12, 2013)
I think it is fair to say that Mark Reynolds is on a bit of a tear.
In Saturday’s second inning, Reynolds hit a 91-mph fastball from CC Sabathia for his 21st home run of the season.
It also was his ninth in nine games and seventh in September.
How locked in is Reynolds right now?
Consider he had seven homers in the first half of the season. And seven since Sept. 2.
Reynolds has hit seven homers this season against the Yankees, that ties for most in Orioles history (Ramon Hernandez in 2006). Toronto’s Vernon Wells in 2010 was the last player to hit seven in a season against the Bronx Bombers; Detroit’s Hank Greenberg has the record, 11 in 1938.
Lew Ford followed with a home run of his own, which was the sixth time this season the Orioles have hit back-to-back homers. It tied the game.
The Orioles took a 3-2 lead in the third on a RBI double by J.J. Hardy.
