BALTIMORE — Gleyber Torres had just given the Yankees the lead in the top of the sixth inning Thursday when Aaron Boone called on Tommy Kahnle with one out and a runner on first and the Yankees desperately in need of holding onto a slim lead.
Kahnle entered having made just one appearance, a rocky ninth inning in the third game of the year when the Yankees trailed Baltimore by three runs.
The right-hander walked three and struck out two in a scoreless frame on March 31, but was placed in a higher-leverage spot Thursday at Camden Yards and managed to get out of the sixth and pitch a perfect seventh that helped the Yankees to an 8-4 win over the Orioles.