Yankees’ Gleyber Torres’ error, weak bats lead to 11-inning loss to Orioles | Rapid reaction

NEW YORK — A bad day gave way to an even worse night for the Yankees.

Hours after learning Aaron Judge’s injury woes would leak into 2021, Gleyber Torres’ fielding futility highlighted a 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Yankees finished their six-game season-opening home stand at 3-3. They have Thursday off and then face their two greatest AL East threats — the Rays, and then the Blue Jays — on the road.

Baltimore improved to 4-2.

The Orioles took the lead for good in the 11th when Chance Cisco’s bloop single to shallow left brought in extra-innings runner Rio Ruiz from third base. Ruiz had advanced after Freddy Galvis sacrifice bunted him over to start the inning.

The Yankees had a chance in the 11th. Brett Gardner bunted extra-innings runner Gio Urshela to third base. Then DJ LeMahieu hit a fly ball to moderate right field. Ushela, one of the Yankees’ slowest runners, immediately tagged up but was out by a mile. The tag got him right in the face. The game ended.

Judge wasn’t In the lineup, dealing with what manager Aaron Boone called “side soreness.” He had gone 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI the night before.

A tense 10th

Kyle Higashioka came up huge in the 10th inning. His line-drive single to right field scored extra-innings runner Tyler Wade from second base. Higashioka’s liner fell right in front of Anthony Santander. But Wade’s speed was just enough to get him in before Santander’s solid throw to tie things at 3-all.

Torres’ continuing defensive futility nearly sank the Yankees in the half-inning before.

His throwing error allowed the Orioles to grab a 3-2 lead. With two outs and a runner on third, Torres held too long onto Pedro Severino’s groundball. Then Torres rushed the throw, hooking it into the dirt into a long hop for inexperienced first baseman Jay Bruce.

The ball got by Bruce, and Santander scored. Santander, the extra innings runner, advanced from second base on a comebacker to reliever Chad Green, which he bobbled but got the out at first.

A good throw would have gotten Severino and ended the inning.

Taillon tall

Taillon couldn’t have been much better for someone who hadn’t pitched in a big-league game in 707 days.

Coming back from Tommy John surgery that had held him out since May 2019, Taillon lasted just 4 2/3 innings, but he was on a pitch count that manager Aaron Boone wouldn’t specify before the game. He ended up with 74 pitches.

Taillon worked three perfect innings to start the game and left with the Yankees behind 2-1. The 2010 No. 2 overall pick made just two mistakes, hanging pitches for solo shots by Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander in the fourth inning. Taillon struck out seven batters and walked none. His fastball averaged 93.3 mph and topped out at 95. He got 11 whiffs on 35 swings.

Back and forth

The Yankees jumped ahead in the third inning when Aaron Hicks followed singles from Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu with a base hit up the middle of his own. Gardner scored for a 1-0 Yankees lead. That put runners on first and second for Giancarlo Stanton, who hit into a double play to end the inning.

And the Orioles head their 4-2 lead until the eighth. That was when Gio Urshela crushed a double to left-center field with two outs. Pinch runner Mike Tauchman scored from first base — and just barely. The relay from left fielder Ryan Mountcastle to shortstop Freddy Galvis to catcher Pedro Severino was a thing of beauty. But Tauchman, under third base coach Phil Nevin’s immediate guidance to round the bag and head home, just got his left hand in with a headfirst slide.

It shouldn’t have been that close, though.

Tauchman was pinch running for Gary Sanchez, who didn’t even try to run out a hard line drive to left that Mountcastle couldn’t glove. It should have been a double.

You should know …

The Yankees’ bullpen did its job.

Nick Nelson (1 1/3 innings), Darren O’Day (1 inning), Jonathan Loaisiga (1 inning) and Aroldis Chapman (1 inning) held Baltimore scoreless through regulation. Nelson struck out two. Chapman fanned the side in the ninth, touching 102 mph.

Chad Green gave up both of the extra-innings runs but he went 1 1/3 innings, striking out one and allowing a hit and a walk. Luis Cessa came in with two on in the 11th, walked a hitter and then struck out the next two to leave unscathed.

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