Sonny Gray bounced back with six shutout innings and the Yankees hit three home runs en route to a 9-0 win over the Orioles on Wednesday in Baltimore. >> Box score

Things to know about Wednesday's game

1) Gray pitched well against a team he's had success against this season. He never allowed a run in six innings of work and struck out eight batters in the process. He walked just one and threw 90 pitches on the night.

2) Giancarlo Stanton got the Yankees started with an RBI single in the third inning before Greg Bird hit a grand slam to put New York in front, 5-0. Tyler Wade hit his first career homer in the sixth, Austin Romine added a solo shot in the seventh, and Didi Gregorius scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth. Stanton hit his second RBI single in the ninth to give the Yankees a 9-0 advantage.

3) The Yankees' bullpen helped finish off the Orioles in the final three innings. AJ Cole pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, and Chasen Shreve pitched a scoreless ninth.

Highlights from Wednesday's game

Wade back, Wade gone. pic.twitter.com/SXXj4cRMDS
- New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 12, 2018

Bird Law. pic.twitter.com/mlBNvBwBuu
- New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 12, 2018

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

This is more like the result we might have expected from the Yankees against the Orioles. Then again, maybe that is not the case with Gray on the mound.

Gray's struggles have been so egregious this season that many have been hoping he'll get run out of New York. At least for one night, Gray might have extended his stay in pinstripes for another start. Of course, this is the thing with Gray, he tends to have these superb games every so often that make us believe he is more than just a pitcher with "good stuff."

What the Yankees need is Gray to do it more often and over an extended stretch. The Yankees might be looking to add Manny Machado, but what they really need is another starting pitcher or one of their current hurlers besides Luis Severino to get hot and stay hot. We'll see if Gray is up to the challenge, but not until after the All-Star break.

What's next

The Yankees will open a series with the Indians on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. in Cleveland.

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