Gardner, Holliday HRs carry Yankees over Orioles 8-3

BALTIMORE -- Brett Gardner and Matt Holliday are going head-to-head in a good-natured home run derby, and the big winner appears to be the first-place New York Yankees.

Gardner and Holliday each homered twice, Aaron Judge drove in two runs and New York received a solid pitching performance from Luis Severino in an 8-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.

Gardner set the tone for the AL East leaders by connecting on the third pitch from Chris Tillman (1-2), who had not allowed a home run in his previous four starts this season.

Holliday went deep in the first inning and again in the third , his 22nd career multihomer game.

Gardner's second solo shot sparked a three-run fourth that made it 8-0. The drive left Gardner and Holliday knotted at 11 home runs apiece.

"He stared at me all around the bases," Holliday joked. "We've got a little competition going. It's kind of sad considering I'm about 50 pounds heavier and much, much taller."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said: "Hitting can be contagious. I think they can feed off each other. It helps."

For an offense that has feasted on the long ball this season, the mantra is: One home run deserves another.

"Our real strength is our depth, 1 through 9," Holliday said. "Guys can do damage."

Severino (4-2) gave up one run and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight and walking one. Although the right-hander's run of 17 consecutive scoreless innings ended in the sixth, he has gone four straight starts without allowing a home run for the first time in his career.

"His stuff is elite," Holliday said. "Anytime you can give him a lead and make him feel a little more comfortable, it makes it even harder on the opposing team."

Trey Mancini had three hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who have lost eight of nine and 14 of 18. Three-time All-Star Manny Machado went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts, lowering his batting average to .210.

Tillman lasted only 2 2/3 innings, yielding five runs and seven hits -- three of them homers.

"Chris wasn't very crisp and just didn't pitch well," manager Buck Showalter said. "Couple in the fact that it's a good-hitting club, and it just wasn't very good."

Tillman went 16-6 last year, but he started this season on the disabled list and has been inconsistent since being activated on May 7.

"It just kind of snowballed tonight," Tillman said. "They came out hacking and never stopped."

After jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, New York got an RBI single from Aaron Hicks in the second. Holliday's second solo homer and an RBI single by Chase Headley made it 5-0 in the third.

Gardner hit his second home run leading off the fourth, and a two-run double by Judge completed the Yankees' offensive thrust.

BRONX BOMBERS

The Yankees have homered in 10 of their last 11 games and have 75 home runs in 49 games. They are 18-4 when hitting at least two homers.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: SS Didi Gregorius was hit in the hand by a pitch in the ninth. He stayed in the game, but Girardi said doctors would take a look at it. ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury is moving closer to coming off the seven-day concussion DL. Ellsbury, who was hurt crashing into the outfield wall last Wednesday, said: "My neck's felt better each day. I'll continue to get treatment on that, but as far as the headaches, it feels a lot better today." ... 1B Greg Bird homered off minor league pitcher Alexander Vizcaino on the first of seven at-bats in a simulated game. Bird is scheduled to play the field in an extended spring training game Wednesday.

Orioles: CF Adam Jones (sore hip) was a late scratch because of the wet field. He's missed four straight games. ... All-Star closer Zach Britton (left forearm strain) has picked up the intensity of his throwing sessions and has experienced "no setbacks" during his rehabilitation program in Florida, Showalter said. There is no definitive timetable for Britton's return.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (5-4, 5.86 ERA) looks to extend his success under the lights in the series finale Wednesday night. He's 5-1 at night and 0-3 with a 17.51 ERA in day games.

Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (2-4, 6.17) makes his 12th start of the season. Opponents are batting .322 against him and he's yielded 10 homers in 54 innings.

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