Yankees Win in Reverse

When the pitching matchup for a game is CC Sabathia versus a guy that has a 4-11 record going into the game, one would imagine that Sabathia’s team would win in a blowout.

What one wouldn’t imagine, however, is that the bulk of the damage would come in the 9th inning, and that before that, the game would remain tied at one into the seventh inning.

Such, however, is baseball. You don’t play the games on paper.

When the game started, it seemed like it might have been one of those games, where all the breaks go the other team’s way.  Sabathia gave up five hits in the first two innings, and that involved Baltimore scoring a run in the first inning and having the bases loaded with one out in the second.

After that Sabathia settled in.  Baltimore managed only two hits against Sabathia the rest of Sabathia’s outing.

“Another strong performance from him,” Joe Girardi said on the postgame.

When asked about the roll he’s been on, Sabathia remarked, “it feels good.”

The problem was, however, that while Sabathia was doing his part to keep his team in the game, the Yankees’ offense was doing the whole not-hitting-with-runners-on-base that’s got people so riled from time to time this season.  Aside from an Eric Hinske home run in the third inning, the Yankees did nothing against Baltimore starter Berken except reach base and then not score.

That changed in the seventh inning, when Damon reached, Swisher doubled and the Orioles elected to pitch to Alex Rodriguez with men on second and third.  True to his perhaps surprising clutchiness this season, Rodriguez delivered, and the Yankees took a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish–though Brian Bruney did his best to make it close.

With Mariano Rivera getting a night off–Marc Carig is reporting that he has a tight groin and will get a few days off–Phil Hughes moved up to the ninth inning for the night and Brian Bruney was given the first two batters of the eighth.  He promptly gave up a home run to Reimold, rendering the score 3-2.  Girardi then went to Phil Coke, which provoked an OHNOTHESKYISFALLING reaction from many, but Coke and then Hughes did their jobs and the Orioles did not score another run.

The Yankee offense, however, came alive in the ninth inning.  Here’s how it played out:

(graphic from ESPN.com)

Pretty impressive, isn’t it? Perhaps the most impressive thing here is that the Yankees (again) blew the game open without hitting a home run (Hinske’s homer was the only one of the game).

That’s 12 men to the plate and seven runs scored.

I’ve already said this but it bears repeating: it’s hard to imagine that the Yankees were once 0-2 against these Orioles.

Now the Yankees’ Magic Number is down to Donnie Baseball (that’s 23 for you young ‘uns), and the Yankees can head to Toronto guaranteed at least a .500 road trip.