After losing to Yankees, Orioles’ skid at 6 games

BALTIMORE - A tense American League East duel between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each team Monday night when the Yankees won, 6-4, in 10 innings.

The result extended Baltimore’s losing streak to six games, and it became apparent why New York leads the division and the Orioles are mired in their longest skid in nearly a year.

Both showed their hitting prowess. Both played solid defense. The difference was that the Orioles got another poor performance from the back end of their bullpen, and New York got a typically strong outing from closer Mariano Rivera. New York trailed 4-3 in the ninth before Travis Hafner homered with one out on a 3-1 pitch from Jim Johnson, who has blown three straight save opportunities after converting a club-record 35 in a row.

AP