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Bombs away: Historic Yankees-Orioles season series mercifully ends

Rob Tringali / Major League Baseball / Getty

The New York Yankees may want to send a thank-you basket to the Baltimore Orioles for helping them secure a comfortable lead atop the American League East this season.

With Wednesday's 6-5 win, the Yankees mercifully ended their season-long dominance over the division "rival." New York provided plenty of fireworks during repeated bludgeonings across the 19 games.

Let's take a look at just how wild the Yankees' destruction of Baltimore really was.

So many home runs

When infielder Gio Urshela smashed a two-run blast off reliever Miguel Castro on Aug. 7, he clinched a new MLB record for his club. It was the 49th home run hit by the Yankees against the Orioles this season, a number unmatched by any team ever against one opponent in a single campaign.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, the two clubs weren't yet done playing each other.

The Yankees blasted 12 more long balls against the Orioles after setting the record to finish with a ridiculous 61.

Gleyber Torres accomplished a number of milestones during the season series. His 13 home runs and five multi-homer games against Baltimore are records against a single opponent - with the former being limited to the divisional era, beginning in 1969. He got started early, too, knocking two out of the park in the first showdown between the clubs on April 4.

Additionally, Torres became the youngest player in AL history with eight multi-homer games and is the first player since Philadelphia Phillies legend Mike Schmidt in 1983 to hit long balls in both games of a doubleheader twice in the same season, according to STATS.

Gary Sanchez launched his 10th rocket against the Orioles on Wednesday. He and Torres are the first Yankees teammates to hit double-digit homers against one team since Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth each hit 11 against the Boston Red Sox in 1927.

Torres added four doubles to finish with 17 extra-base hits, finishing one shy of Mickey Mantle's 18 against the Chicago White Sox in 1957.

The winning streak

Believe it or not, but the Orioles had a winning record (2-1) against New York early in the campaign. However, the Yankees then proceeded to win 16 straight to take the season series 17-2.

It's their most victories against a single opponent in one season since taking 17 against the Kansas City A's in 1959.

The Bronx Bombers outscored the Orioles 151-83 in those 19 games.

Poor Gary Thorne

Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne has been around the game for a long time, and he's never seen anything quite like the 2019 Yankees. Torres, in particular, appears to have broken Thorne's spirit with his constant onslaught.

Behold:

And if that wasn't enough, here he is after the Yankees crushed their 60th on Tuesday.

Keep the veteran play-by-play man in your thoughts.

Who didn't contribute?

One of the craziest parts of the season series is just how little the Yankees' usual suspects contributed. Giancarlo Stanton has appeared in just nine games this season and his lone home run came against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Aaron Judge was responsible for only two long balls versus Baltimore, and Luke Voit and DJ LeMahieu tallied two each, as well.

Edwin Encarnacion, who was traded to the Yankees in June, didn't even get to play against the Orioles this season, as he suffered an injury before the final two series.

Basically, as absurd as hitting 61 home runs against one unfortunate team may be, it quite possibly could have been much worse.

For now, the Orioles can relax knowing they won't have to face the Yankees again in 2019. That respite can only last for so long, however, as the Bombers will travel to Camden Yards on March 26, 2020, for Opening Day.

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