Michael Pineda tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings and Derek Jeter connected on a big two-run double tonight as the Yankees continued their recent hot streak with a 5-0 win over the Orioles.
For this one's first 4 1/3 frames, interestingly, Pineda didn't even give up a baserunner, a nice way to begin the outing in which the O's mustered just one hit and the right-hander, whose record is now 4-5 and whose ERA is now 1.93, struck out eight.
Nonetheless, thanks to a similarly good first few at-bats by Baltimore's Wei-Yin Chen (6 IP, 4 R/2 ER) the contest remained scoreless until the bottom of third, when a Ryan Flaherty throwing error, a Jose Pirela triple off the left-center field wall in his first career plate appearance, and a groundout from the aforementioned Jeter gave the home team an early 2-0 advantage.
Then in the fifth, after another single from Pirela and a walk of Brett Gardner, the suddenly on-fire Jeter contributed again with said double down the left field line, a knock that acted as the dagger on the night with Pineda throwing so well and Chase Headley's adding of a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth.