NEW YORK (AP) – Michael Pineda struck out a career-high 16 in seven dominant innings Sunday and Carlos Beltran hit his first homer of the season, leading the New York Yankees to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Throwing nice and easy with pink sleeves peeking out from under his pinstriped jersey on Mother’s Day, Pineda overpowered an Orioles team that went bust in its week in the Big Apple. Baltimore lost three of four in the Bronx after being swept in two games by the Mets in Queens.
Pineda (5-0) matched David Cone and David Wells for the second-most strikeouts in a game by a Yankees pitcher. Ron Guidry had 18 in 1978.
The 16 strikeouts were the most by the Orioles against one pitcher in a nine-inning game, according to STATS. Baltimore struck out against 18 times overall, a club record for a nine-inning game.
J.J. Hardy, who homered, was the only Baltimore player who did not fan against Pineda.