Martin Blast Powers Yankees Past O's
YANKEES 7
ORIOLES 2
A five-run ninth inning highlighted by a solo home run by Russell Martin, proved to be the difference in the Yankees 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game One of the ALDS at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
For eight innings both the Orioles and Yankees went back and forth, tied at two for most of the night as neither offense could find a way to get the go-ahead run across in this tightly contested opener.
CC Sabathia, who struggled against the Orioles during the regular season, was his masterful self once again. He dominated Baltimore's powerful line-up for 8.2 innings of 120 pitch baseball, yielding only eight hits and two runs, while striking out seven and walking one.
With the Bombers ahead 1-0 in the third, CC ran into some trouble when Nate McClouth worked his way into a favorable count and laced a two-run single to right to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead.
The Orioles' lead turned out to be short lived. After walks to Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher to open the fourth inning, Martk Teixeira cracked a Jason Hammel fastball - off the right field scoreboard, allowing A-Rod to score. However, Teixeira was tagged out on second on the advance to second, preventing Swisher from scoring.
The Yankees would go the next four innings without scoring a run. They certainly threatened, including having two-men on with no one out in the seventh, but reliever Darren O'Day got both Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki to ground out, before striking out Alex Rodriguez.
The Orioles had their chances as well. They had two-men on in the bottom of the fifth, but McClouth struck out, and Hardy grounded out ending the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hardy led off with a double down the right field line, but never moved from second as Sabathia struck out Adam Jones; got Matt Wieters to pop up to first; and forced Mark Reynolds into ground out.
The O's missed opportunity in the eighth inning turned out to be their undoing.
With closer Jim Johnson on the hill, the Yankees tatooed the game's saves leader. First, Martin cracked a solo home run to left giving the Yankees the lead. The domino's soon fell. An infield single by Ichiro allowed Eduardo Nunez to score to make it 4-2. Next, Robinson Cano smacked a two-run double, and two batters later, Swisher drove in Cano with a sac-fly.
Game two will be Monday night in Baltimore. Andy Pettitte, one of the most reliable postseason pitchers of all-time will toe the rubber for the Bronx Bombers. Wei-Yen Chen, the Orioles ace, will get the start for Baltimore.
ORIOLES 2
For eight innings both the Orioles and Yankees went back and forth, tied at two for most of the night as neither offense could find a way to get the go-ahead run across in this tightly contested opener.
CC Sabathia, who struggled against the Orioles during the regular season, was his masterful self once again. He dominated Baltimore's powerful line-up for 8.2 innings of 120 pitch baseball, yielding only eight hits and two runs, while striking out seven and walking one.
With the Bombers ahead 1-0 in the third, CC ran into some trouble when Nate McClouth worked his way into a favorable count and laced a two-run single to right to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead.
The Orioles' lead turned out to be short lived. After walks to Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher to open the fourth inning, Martk Teixeira cracked a Jason Hammel fastball - off the right field scoreboard, allowing A-Rod to score. However, Teixeira was tagged out on second on the advance to second, preventing Swisher from scoring.
The Yankees would go the next four innings without scoring a run. They certainly threatened, including having two-men on with no one out in the seventh, but reliever Darren O'Day got both Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki to ground out, before striking out Alex Rodriguez.
The Orioles had their chances as well. They had two-men on in the bottom of the fifth, but McClouth struck out, and Hardy grounded out ending the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hardy led off with a double down the right field line, but never moved from second as Sabathia struck out Adam Jones; got Matt Wieters to pop up to first; and forced Mark Reynolds into ground out.
The O's missed opportunity in the eighth inning turned out to be their undoing.
With closer Jim Johnson on the hill, the Yankees tatooed the game's saves leader. First, Martin cracked a solo home run to left giving the Yankees the lead. The domino's soon fell. An infield single by Ichiro allowed Eduardo Nunez to score to make it 4-2. Next, Robinson Cano smacked a two-run double, and two batters later, Swisher drove in Cano with a sac-fly.
Game two will be Monday night in Baltimore. Andy Pettitte, one of the most reliable postseason pitchers of all-time will toe the rubber for the Bronx Bombers. Wei-Yen Chen, the Orioles ace, will get the start for Baltimore.
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