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Aug. 7 (UPI) -- New York Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman hit a home run and robbed another would-be long ball during a 9-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles. Tauchman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the victory Tuesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. He is now hitting .299 on the season. His long ball was one of six homers hit by the Yankees in the five-run victory.
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The Yankees (74-39) have the best record in the American League and the second-best record in Major League Baseball.
Tauchman led off the top of the third inning during his first at-bat of the game. He settled in against Orioles starter Asher Wojciechowski and earned a 3-1 lead in the count. He smacked Tauchman's fifth offering -- a 91.4 mph fastball -- over the right field fence for his 10th homer of the season.
The 381-foot blast had an exit velocity of 109 mph and left the field in four seconds, according to Statcast.
D.J. LeMahieu homered in the next at-bat and Didi Gregorius homered two at-bats later to give the Yankees a 3-0 advantage. The Orioles added two runs in the bottom of the inning, closing the gap to one run. Austin Romine plated Cameron Maybin and Mike Ford with a two-run double in the top of the fourth frame, before Tauchman claimed the spotlight once again.
Orioles catcher Pedro Severino stepped into the box to lead off the bottom of the inning. He fell behind in the count 1-2 against Yankees reliever Stephen Tarpley. Severino then ripped a 3-2 Tarpley slider to left field. The rip had an exit velocity of 93.9 mph and traveled 363 feet, according to Statcast.
Tauchman raced back to the fence and jumped toward the outfield wall. He threw his gloved right hand in the air and snagged the ball just before it could go over the wall.
"I knew it was going to be around the wall," Tauchman told reporters. "So I just wanted to get to the wall fast and give me some time to time my jump rather than trying to drift and make up time at the end."
Anthony Santander hit a two-run homer for the Orioles in the bottom of the fifth inning, closing Baltimore's deficit to 5-4. Romine pushed the Yankees up 6-4 with a solo shot in the top of the sixth frame. Tauchman plated Romine on an RBI double in the eighth inning. The Yankees added two more runs in the final frame, courtesy of solo shots from Brett Gardner and Maybin.
Yankees relievers Nestor Cortes Jr. and Adam Ottavino combined to allow two hits in 4.1 scoreless innings to hold off the Orioles down the stretch. Cortes picked up his fifth run of the season, while Ottavino earned his first save of the year.
Romine went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a strikeout in the victory. Santander went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored and a strikeout for Baltimore.
The Orioles host the Yankees in the final game of the series at 7:05 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Baltimore.
