NEW YORK — In the city that never sleeps, the Orioles bats have gone dormant in their first two games at Yankee Stadium.
An Orioles team that averages nearly five runs per game this season managed just one run for the second straight contest Tuesday night in a 7-1 loss to the New York Yankees.
"We're better than that," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I know our guys are frustrated, but you also have to tip your hat to their pitching."
The Orioles (53-39) have now lost three straight games after tying their high-water mark for the season at 17 games above .500. The Orioles' lead in the American League East is down to a half-game following the Boston Red Sox's 4-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
The Orioles didn't have many opportunities to score against Yankees right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed four hits over 5 1/3 innings. They failed to capitalize on their one chance to rally, when they loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning.
"When we did get him on the ropes, we just didn't take advantage of it," catcher Caleb Joseph said. "We've got to find a way to continue to grind at-bats out, to get guys on base, whether it's a walk or a two-strike hit or something. That's something that we usually do that prolongs innings that gives us a chance to win games."
Eovaldi went into the sixth having allowed just two hits over his first five innings and had retired 10 straight hitters, but let four straight Orioles reach base with one out before he was pulled.
Trailing 3-0, No. 9 hitter Ryan Flaherty drew a walk from Eovaldi and Adam Jones singled up the middle.
Joey Rickard's RBI double scored Flaherty for the Orioles' only run. Manny Machado drew a walk to load the bases and chase Eovaldi from the game.
But the Orioles let the Yankees off the hook as right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak needed just five pitches to escape the inning.
Mark Trumbo flied out to first baseman Rob Refsnyder in foul ground on the second pitch of his at-bat and Jonathan Schoop popped up a 2-0 pitch to end the threat.
"We had a good shot and some good people up," Showalter said. "When you get those opportunities you have to cash them in because you're not going to get many."
Swarzak retired all eight batters he faced, and Nick Goody retired the Orioles in order in the ninth.
Worley struggles in spot start
Orioles right-hander Vance Worley became a valuable asset in the bullpen by keeping the ball on the ground while displaying excellent command. In part, that's what earned him the opportunity to make a spot start Tuesday against the Yankees.
But Worley walked four, including one to Didi Gregorius in a 10-pitch plate appearance that preceded a two-run homer by Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro in the second inning.
"They were close," Worley said of his pitches to Gregorius, with a grin. "For me, I'm a momentum kind of guy. Like I said, they put up some good at-bats and fouled a lot of good pitches off and made me work. A couple of the guys I wasn't going to give into and give them something to hit, so they were patient enough to take the pitches that I wanted them to swing at."
Worley, who was making his first start since April 15, allowed just three hits over 4 1/3 innings but yielded three runs. Two of his four walked ended up scoring.
"We were walking too many people, not him necessarily," Showalter said. "It's not like he was wild. He was just missing and there were some pitches that could go either way. It was a pretty tight zone, but he was good. You can't fault the effort he gave us. I would have taken that going in."
Rickard comes through
With Hyun Soo Kim going on the disabled list before Tuesday's game, Showalter gave Rickard a look in the No. 2 spot in the batting order for the first time since June 26.
Rickard ended up providing the Orioles' biggest hit of the night, hitting an RBI double that one-hopped the left-field wall.
Rickard, who entered the game with just one extra-base hit over his previous 28 at-bats, worked a seven-pitch at-bat before hitting the double on his third two-strike offering from Eovaldi.