Hammel's strong effort powers Orioles to 5-3 win over Yankees

NEW YORK -- Baltimore received its second straight quality start, but unlike the previous one, there was enough offense to get the win.

Jason Hammel (2-1) scattered eight hits and gave up just two earned runs, but got the key outs when he needed them most in the 5-3 victory over the Yankees Saturday before an announced crowd of 41,851 at Yankee Stadium.

Baltimore's bats, which were held in check in Friday's 5-2 loss to New York despite a fine effort from Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez, came alive in the second game of this series. The Orioles (6-5) pounded out 11 hits, including three solo homers.

Hammel relied on his sinker to produce nine groundball outs. Holding a two-run lead, the 6-6 righty was able to get the hot-hitting Kevin Youkilis to bounce into a double play in the fifth and with first and third and one out in the sixth, Hammel struck out Lyle Overbay and got Jayson Nix to pop out to first to end the threat.

"I actually felt like I was loosening up there in the sixth inning," Hammel admitted. "I was strong as I have been in my three starts at that point in the game."

The win was only the second for Hanmel in eight starts against New York.

The Yankees (5-5) were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Yankee starter Phil Hughes (0-2) was roughed up in 3-plus innings. Failing to make it out of the fourth, he allowed five runs, nine hits and two walks. He didn't strike anyone out, leaving his team in a 5-2 deficit.

The Orioles bullpen worked three scoreless innings, with Jim Johnson picking up his fifth save.

"We're spoiled," Hammel said. "You hand the ball over to any of those guys and we honestly feel it's game over. They give us so much confidence."

Hughes was done in by the long ball. The Orioles produced three solo home runs -- one in each of the second, third and fourth innings -- scoring at least one run in each of Hughes' four innings of work.

The Orioles finally received some production from the DH spot. Nolan Reimold, hitting ninth, accounted for only the second hit from the group this spring when he launched a homer to right in the fourth to make it 5-2.

Baltimore's designated hitters were averaging .030 without an extra-base hit before Reimold's blast.

"We still have a little work to do in the DH spot," Reimold said. "It's one of those things you can't explain. We just need to go out there and get consistent at bats.

"Top to bottom, I think we're a dangerous lineup. Everybody can do things to win a ballgame for you."

Vernon Wells slammed his third homer of the season in the sixth to pull the Yankees to within two runs at 5-3.

Hughes suffered a shaky third inning, giving up two runs and three hits as Baltimore moved ahead 4-2. Right fielder Nick Markakis started it off with a solo homer and Chris Davis drove in his league-leading 20th run with an opposite-field double off the right-field wall that scored Adam Jones who had singled.

"He obviously didn't have his best stuff tonight," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said of Hughes. "He fell behind and we couldn't recover."

The Yankees tied it at 2-2 when Francisco Cervellli scored from second on a bloop single by Overbay and Travis Hafner belted his third home run of the season leading off the inning.

Baltimore jumped on Hughes in the first two innings, taking a brief 2-0 lead. Left fielder Nate McLouth led off the game with a double, moved to third on Manny Machado's sac bunt and scored on a ground out by Adam Jones.

Second baseman Ryan Flaherty blasted his first homer of the season with one out in the second to give the Orioles the 2-0 edge.

The Yankees had their four-game winning streak end and fell to 2-3 at home this season. They left nine men on base.

Middle reliever David Phelps kept the Yankees in the game, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing only one hit after Hughes exited.

NOTES: First year Yankees Brennan Boesch, Ben Francisco, Travis Hafner, Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells and Youkilis are batting a combined .309 with 26 runs, nine doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI. ... Heading into Saturday's game, the Orioles had just two players in double figure RBI. Chris Davis has knocked in 20 runs and Adam Jones has 11 RBI. ... When Francisco Cervelli catches, Yankee pitchers have a 2.95 ERA (55 innings). When his back-up Chris Stewart is behind the plate, the staff's ERA is 7.88 (24 innings).