Behind 1B Luke Voit's six RBI on a couple of three-run homers, the Yankees swept Friday's doubleheader against the Orioles with a 10-1 win over Baltimore in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score
Six takeaways from Friday's game
1. Like they did with their strong start to Game 1, the Yankees jumped all over the Orioles in the first inning. 3B DJ LeMahieu started the Yankees up with a lead-off walk and Voit followed on a single. LeMahieu's aggressive base running paid off, tagging up after CF Aaron Hicks flied out to left and beating a mishandled throw at third.
RF Clint Frazier reached on a fielder's choice to short, scoring LeMahieu. The Yankees further cashed in on consecutive hits with two outs -- SS Gleyber Torres' one-run single and DH Miguel Andujar's two-run double -- to take a 4-1 lead. C Gary Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning, stranding Andujar at second.
2. After a shaky first inning, RHP Masahiro Tanaka settled down and locked in for the Yankees. Tanaka's opening frame started by the Orioles' lead-off single on a bunt by CF Cedric Mullins down the third-base line, but Sanchez limited the damage, catching Mullins stealing at second. While RF DJ Stewart hit a two-out home run to center, Tanaka limited the damage.
The second inning offered a scare with 3B Rio Ruiz's lead-off single and DH Renato Nunez's hit-by-pitch, but Tanaka once again was able to bear down. Tanaka got 2B Hanser Alberto on a flyout to right before striking out 1B Chris Davis and C Chance Sisco -- both swinging -- to give the Yankees a scoreless frame.
Starting with the second, Tanaka (2-2, 3.16 ERA) went on a run and retired 12 straight Orioles. He ended his evening with one run on three hits in five innings, striking out five and walking none while giving the Yankees a much-needed quality start following ace RHP Gerrit Cole's dominant Game 1 outing.
3. Voit delivered a knockout punch in the fourth inning. With 2B Thairo Estrada on second and LeMahieu at first, Voit belted a three-run homer to right-center field, his 15th on the season, and he put the Yankees in front of a commanding 7-1 lead.
4. Voit struck again on a three-run homer in the fifth inning, sending a drive into the first row of the left-field seats. Voit's 16th home run tied Angels CF Mike Trout atop the MLB lead while Los Angeles was in the midst of a game Friday against the Colorado Rockies. Minnesota Twins DH Nelson Cruz and San Diego Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. follow Trout and Voit with 15 each.
5. With a nine-run lead, the Yankees pulled Tanaka after 91 pitches (61 strikes). RHP Luis Cessa, outside of a two-out double to Stewart, worked the sixth inning without any problems. For the seventh, after a lead-off walk, RHP Brooks Kriske got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the game
6. With the win and the Toronto Blue Jays' big loss to the Mets, the Yankees pull within half a game for second place in the AL East. The Blue Jays (24-20) and Mets (21-24) began a three-game series at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.
With an assist from the Mets -- and if the Yankees take care of business against the Orioles -- things could be set up nicely entering next Tuesday. The Yankees host the Blue Jays in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium through next Thursday.
What's next
The Yankees (24-21) seek their fourth straight win Saturday when they host the Orioles (20-24) at 1:05 p.m. from Yankee Stadium.
LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-2, 5.72 ERA) is projected to face RHP Dean Kremer (1-0, 1.50 ERA), who earned his first MLB win Sunday in the Orioles' 5-1 victory against the Yankees. Kremer allowed just one run on one hit while striking out seven and walking three in six innings.
Montgomery, meanwhile, is in search of his first win since Aug. 11. He has an 0-1 record and 6.39 ERA in the past four starts.