Yankees sweep Orioles in DH behind Sonny Gray, but Greg Bird no help | Rapid reaction

The Yankees took both ends of a day-night doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park on Saturday, winning the opener 10-3 and the nightcap 5-1.

BALTIMORE —Yankees right-hander Sonny Gray looked like a prancing show horse during his fast walk from the mound to the third-base dugout at Oriole Park when manager Aaron Boone went to his bullpen in Game 2 of Saturday’s day-night doubleheader.

Gray was fired up about shutting out the Baltimore Orioles for 6 1/3 shutout innings in his first opportunity to start a game since he was demoted to long reliever in early August.

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The thousands of Yankees fans on hand roared in approval.

Most everything about this long day at the ballpark went the Yankees’ way, as they swept both ends of a twinbill for the first time since 2014.

With Gray leading the way, the Yankees won the nightcap 5-1 after rolling to an easy 10-3 win in Game 1.

“We’ve in a tough stretch right now, a little beat up, and guys are just grinding away,” manager Aaron Boone said. “To rack up a couple wins is huge for us.”

All day long, Yankees fans took over the ballpark with their cheers, chants … and some booing.

The only Yankees player perturbing them was slumping first baseman Greg Bird, who returned from a two-game benching in Game 2 to go 0-for-4 and end the night hitting below the Mendoza Line at .199.

Yankees fans booed loudly when Bird struck out to start the fourth and when he weakly grounded into an inning-ending double play in the eighth.

Look for Luke Voit, who hit two homers on Friday night and had an RBI single in Game 1, to get a third start in four games at first base on Sunday night when the Yankees try to sweep this four-game series.

After splitting the first 12 games this season with the worst-in-baseball Orioles, the Yankees rallied to win the Friday night’s series opener in 10 innings, then dominated both ends of Saturday’s double-dip.

Making this day even sweeter for the Yankees was the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox were beaten for the day in a row by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yanks still are a distant second, but they’ve picked up 2 1/2 games in the standings in two days to go from 9 1/2 games back to 7 games out.

In Game 2, Brett Gardner hit starter Andrew Cashner’s first pitch to deep center for a leadoff double, Aaron Hicks laced an RBI single two batters later and the Yanks were up for good.

The Yanks added two more in the second, then single runs in the fourth and ninth to build a 5-0 cushion.

Gray’s outing was a payback to the Orioles, as he allowed seven runs over 2 2/3 innings starting against them at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 1. The next day, Gray (10-8) was banished to the bullpen, and he remained there until Saturday when the Yanks needed a spot starter due to their doubleheader.

Now he’s going back to the bullpen coming off a great outing.

“That’s a peek right there of what (Gray) can be when he’s at his best,” Boone said. “He was on the attack all night. When he did need a big pitch, he was able to get it whether it was a fastball, he mixed in some of his splits and the breaking ball was dynamic.”

NOTABLE

— This was the Yanks’ first sweep of a doubleheader since they took two from the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2014. They had been swept four times and had six splits in their last 10 heading into Saturday.

— Catcher Gary Sanchez began a rehab assignment by playing a rookie level Saturday in Clearwater, Fla, and 0-for-3 with a walk as the designated hitter for the Gulf Coast League Yankees East in a 4-1 win over the GCL Phillies East. This was Sanchez’ first game since July 23, the day before he went on the DL for the second time with a right groin strain.

— Center fielder Aaron Hicks was 5-for-9 with a homer and double in the doubleheader after beginning the day in a 2-for-21 slump.

Catcher Austin Romine was 3-for-4 with a ninth-inning solo homer in Game 2 after heading into the game in a 2-for-21 skid.

— Decked out in his Players’ Weekend jersey and canary yellow spikes, reliever Dellin Betances came on in the ninth inning of Game 2 with a run in and two outs to pick up his first save of the year.

— Giancarlo Stanton was robbed of his 300th career homer in the sixth inning of Game 1 when Orioles 5-foot-8 rookie center fielder Cedric Mullins reached over the wall in center to make a great leaping catch.

LOOKING AHEAD

Sunday, Yankees at Baltimore Orioles, 8:05 p.m., ESPN. RHP Luis Severino (16-6, 3.28) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (7-12, 5.31).

Monday, Chicago White Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., YES. TBA vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (9-4, 3.90).

Tuesday, Chicago White Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., YES. TBA vs. RHP Lance Lynn (8-9, 4.84).

Wednesday, Chicago White Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., YES. TBA vs. LHP CC Sabathia (8-9, 4.84).

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.