BALTIMORE _ There just might be a race for the AL East title after all.
The Yankees, behind three more hits from rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar and a decent outing by Luis Severino, completed a four-game sweep of the at-times-comically-bad Orioles with a 5-3 victory Sunday night at Camden Yards.
Though it wasn't pretty at times, the Yankees (83-47) won for the 15th time in their last 20 games and moved within six games (five in the loss column) of the Red Sox.
Six games isn't a reason to plunge the champagne into ice, but the Yankees have made up 4 { games in eight days. They had trailed by 10 { games on Aug. 18 and 9 { games entering the weekend.
"I never stopped believing that was possible," Aaron Boone said before the game of still capturing a division crown.
The Yankees, who are a season-high 36 games over .500, have taken advantage of a schedule loaded with tomato cans, and they have seven more games against them this week as the White Sox and Tigers visit the Stadium.
After totaling four hits in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Orioles, Andujar entered Sunday night's game with a .300/.330/.526 slash line. He promptly collected hits in his first three at-bats, including a two-run double that gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead in the third.
He came into Sunday leading all MLB rookies in batting average, extra-base hits (59), doubles (36), RBIs (70) and multi-hit games (43) and was tied for the rookie lead in homers with 21.
Luke Voit, again starting for the slumping Greg Bird at first, had his second three-hit game of the series, including a two-run homer in the second that put the Yankees ahead for good.
Severino, 3-4 with a 7.02 ERA in his previous eight starts, a stretch in which he allowed 11 homers, allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out eight in improving to 17-6 with a 3.27 ERA.
Chad Green allowed an inherited runner to score in the sixth, which cut the Orioles' deficit to 5-3, but the bullpen allowed no more. Former Oriole Zach Britton pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and David Robertson pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Baltimore right-hander Dylan Bundy came in 7-12 with a well-earned 5.31 ERA, having allowed seven earned runs in each of his last three starts and 13 homers in his previous six starts. He was good by comparison Sunday, allowing four runs and six hits in five innings.
Andujar led off the second with a single _ giving the rookie 56 hits in his last 162 at-bats (.345) _ and was replaced at first by Neil Walker on a 3-6 forceout. After Gleyber Torres struck out, Voit sent a first-pitch fastball to right-center for a 2-0 lead. The blast improved him to 6-for-11 on the trip.
Shane Robinson led off the third with a single and Aaron Hicks singled with two outs, giving him six hits in his last 11 at-bats. Andujar then stung one down the right-field line for a two-run double that made it 4-0.
Severino, assisted greatly by the Orioles, worked his way out a jam in the third. Jace Peterson and Caleb Joseph opened with singles and Jonathan Villar tried to bunt. In a play as emblematic as any of the season the Orioles are having, Villar ran into the ball in fair territory for an out. Craig Gentry singled to load the bases, but Severino struck out Trey Mancini swinging at a 98-mph fastball and Adam Jones flied to right.
The Orioles got on the board in the fifth on Villar's sacrifice fly and, after the Yankees got the run back in the sixth on a wild pitch that allowed Voit to score, Mancini's leadoff homer in the bottom half made it 5-2.
