Even given that the Yankees are constructed to hit home runs, and that the Orioles are (in fact if not in intention) constructed to give up home runs, what New York has done to Baltimore—and especially in Baltimore—this season beggars belief. After Wednesday’s 14-2 win at Camden Yards to complete a three-game sweep in which the Yankees homered five, six, and five times, the following things are true and gruesome:
- The Yankees have 52 home runs against the Orioles this season, surpassing the old MLB record for home runs against an opponent in a season: 48, by the 1956 Yankees against the Kansas City A’s.
- The Yankees have 43 home runs in 10 games at Camden Yards this season, shattering the old MLB record for home runs at a visiting ballpark in a season: 29, by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field.
- The Yankees have 43 home runs at Camden Yards vs. the Orioles. The Orioles have 44 runs at Camden Yards vs. the Yankees.
- The Yankees have 95 runs at Camden Yards vs. the Orioles. The Orioles have 88 hits at Camden Yards vs. the Yankees.
- The Yankees’ 43 homers at Camden Yards this season is more than the Giants or Tigers have in their home ballparks.
- Seventeen different Yankees have homered against the Orioles this season. Fourteen MLB teams—including the Orioles—haven’t had 17 different players homer this season, period.
- Eleven different Yankees have multi-homer games against the Orioles this season, which is, you guessed it, an MLB record.
- The Yankees have had five separate five-plus homer games against the O’s this season. Yup: MLB record.
New York’s homer barrage has had an unexpected side effect. Because the Yankees are dropping like flies, they’re relying on third- and even fourth-stringers in the lineup every day. “It sucks,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said this week. “It’s not even their big boys either.”
And because Yankees radio play-by-play man John Sterling has personalized home-run calls for every player, whether they’ve been there a decade or a week, this last O’s series has required Sterling to dig deep. Maybe deeper than bottom.
And the best/worst of the bunch:
Because Gleyber Torres is going to get some time off, someone named Breyvic Valera is going to get more starts at second. Valera has never homered in the majors. The Yankees have a four-game series against the Orioles in the Bronx next week. This is all unsustainable.