BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer pitched seven innings of two-run ball, Adley Rutschman extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Baltimore won the first two games of a four-game series between the AL East’s top teams and opened a one-game AL East lead, the largest this season for the defending division champion.

Juan Soto hit a 447-foot homer and Austin Wells also had a solo drive for the Yankees, who have lost four of six and scored just two runs in the series.

Kremer (2-2) matched his longest outing this season, allowing four hits and striking out four. While he surrendered Wells’ leadoff homer in the third and Soto’s sixth-inning drive onto Eutaw Street beyond the right-field wall, he also induced three double-play grounders.

The right-hander has won back-to-back starts for the first time since last July 5 and 14. His outing also alleviated pressure on a taxed bullpen after Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe had worked on back-to-back days, Craig Kimbrel has been bothered by back soreness.