New York Yankees: Ivan Nova Guides Bombers to First Season Win over Orioles

It only takes 24 hours to end a losing streak. That's the beauty of baseball.

After being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the opening series of 2012, the Yankees traveled to Camden Yards to start a series with their division foes, the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees halted their three-game losing streak on Monday night by beating Baltimore, 6-2.

Ivan Nova pitched seven solid innings, allowing two runs on ten hits and striking out seven to pick up his first win of the season.

Nova (1-0) is picking up right where he left off in 2011, when he finished on a strong winning streak for the Yankees that continued into the playoffs.

The Yankees got to Brian Matusz (0-1) early on a Mark Teixeira RBI single in the first inning.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters tied the game in the bottom of the second with a solo home run off Nova.

In the top of the fourth, Russell Martin's RBI single gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead, and they never looked back.

Eduardo Nunez's sac fly scored Andruw Jones to make it 3-1, and Derek Jeter's RBI double made it 4-1.

In the top of the sixth, Jones hit a solo shot off reliever Darren O'Day that made it 5-1, and in the top of the seventh, Brett Gardner's RBI single ended the Yanks' scoring at 6-1.

Chris Davis hit an RBI double that made it 6-2, but that was all Baltimore could muster up against the Yankees.

David Robertson allowed two baserunners in the eighth, but finished the inning without allowing a run and punching out two. Mariano Rivera bounced back from the blown save on Opening Day to close out the ninth in a non-save situation.

The Orioles mustered up seven extra-base hits in the loss, but were unable to get any extra runs on the board even though they out-hit the Bronx Bombers, 13 to 11. 

Freddy Garcia will get the start for the Yankees on Tuesday, while the Orioles will counter with left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who is making his MLB debut. 

The Yankees always play solid baseball against Baltimore, and going to Camden Yards may have been the jump-start they needed for 2012.

The Yankees can now put this weekend in their rearview mirror and focus on winning a lot more games.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.