NEW YORK—The Orioles began their three-game series with the New York Yankees trailing by 1 ½ games in the American League East. After winning two of three, the Orioles leave for Houston, their next stop on their road trip, down by just a half-game.

Each game was a grind. In the first one, the Orioles showed little offense in a 4-2 loss. On Wednesday night, they outlasted the Yankees, 7-6, in 10 innings. On Thursday, the Orioles powered through 90-degree heat to beat New York, 17-5, before 45,456 at Yankee Stadium.

The 17 runs scored was their most since June 6^th, 2021. By taking two of three, they’ve gone 22 straight series against AL East opponents without losing. It’s just the third time in franchise history they’ve scored 17 or more against New York. The Orioles are 5-2 against the Yankees this season.

The Orioles (49-25) benefited from the worst start of New York rookie Luis Gil’s career. Entering the game, Gil (9-2) had a 2.03 earned-run average and hadn’t allowed more than five runs.

He gave up seven runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings and hit Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg with a pitch. Westburg missed Wednesday night’s game after Yankees slugger Juan Soto collided with him on Tuesday, causing hip discomfort.

The series was full of drama. Aaron Judge, who was hit by a pitch from Albert Suárez on Tuesday night and was out of Wednesday’s game, also returned and hit a home run.

The Orioles were hit twice on Wednesday, and twice on Thursday in a sloppy affair in which the Yankees (51-26) committed three errors, leading to four unearned runs.

Cedric Mullins hit first home run since April 26^th, a two-run homer in a six-run second. Ryan Mountcastle had a three-run double, and Westburg’s bases-loaded hit-by-pitch accounted for the sixth.

Ryan O’Hearn continued his outstanding hitting against New York with four RBIs, a run-scoring single in the first, a sacrifice fly in the third and a two-run single in the eighth.

Two Yankees errors led to Anthony Santander’s three-run homer in the fifth, his 19^th this season and the 10^th in June.

Santander’s home run gave the Orioles an 11-3 lead, and even though Oriole starter Cole Irvin had a commanding lead entering the bottom of the fifth, he couldn’t make it through the inning.

Irvin allowed five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Gleyber Torres, who later left with a groin injury, homered in the second, and Judge hit his two-run homer, his 27^th, which leads the majors, in the third.

After Judge’s RBI single closed the gap to 11-5 with two outs in the fifth, Bryan Baker (1-0) worked a scoreless 1 1/3 innings.

Austin Hays hit a two-run home run, his third, in the seventh to put the Orioles ahead, 14-5.

New York manager Aaron Boone used six relievers and had catcher Jose Trevino pitch the ninth. Trevino allowed an RBI single to Mountcastle, his fourth RBI.