Back end of Yankees bullpen fails to back up CC Sabathia

9:15 PM ET

BALTIMORE — For the New York Yankees, this victory was supposed to be as automatic as they come: a one-run lead in the seventh inning with the ball safely in the right hand of Dellin Betances, who according to the blueprint would pass it to the left hand of Andrew Miller, who would turn it over to Aroldis Chapman, and everyone goes home happy after an unlikely series win over the Baltimore Orioles.

But nothing went according to plan Sunday at Camden Yards.

Betances gave up a run — two, in fact — for the fourth straight outing. Miller never did get the ball. And when it came Chapman’s turn to douse the lights, he instead ignited the flame that led to the Yankees 3-1 loss. And to make things worse, Chapman inflamed his manager by failing to back up home plate after giving up a two-run single to Matt Wieters — on an 0-2 pitch clocked at 101 mph — allowing a third run to score.

It was by far the worst showing by the back end of the Yankees bullpen. And just to add to the annoyance, the whole thing unfolded in super slow motion, since Mother Nature barged in between Betances’ last pitch — a fastball that struck out Nolan Reimold — and Chapman’s first in the form of a violent rainstorm that resulted in a 97-minute delay.

Aroldis Chapman had been perfect in save situations until Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Orioles. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

The Yankees wasted another gutsy starting pitching performance, this one by CC Sabathia, who grinded his way through five innings on 111 pitches but managed to hold the powerful Orioles lineup scoreless on two hits. He did walk six, however, and used up 40 of those 111 pitches on two Baltimore hitters, …

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