Ibanez Leads Yankees Comeback, Still Lead Orioles by 1-Game

YANKEES 4
RED SOX 3 

For a short moment, it looked like the 2012 regular season was going to come down to the final day. Even though the Yankees have a playoff berth secure, they were trailing the Boston Red Sox 3-1 in their game on Tuesday night, fully aware that the Baltimore Orioles had beaten the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 earlier in the evening.

A Yankees loss, and the Bronx Bombers would go into the final day of baseball in the regular season tied for first place in the AL East. A 10 game lead back in July, which evaporated over the past two  months, would come down to one day to determine whether the Yankees would open the playoffs in the wild card game or in the division series.

The stakes were high, and Yankees DH/left fielder Raul Ibanez was up to the task.

The veteran powered the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Sox Tuesday night, perserving a 1-game lead in the Eastern divison, all but guaranteeing that the Yankees will win the East on Wednesday. All the Yankees need is a win, or an Orioles loss.

For eight innings, the Yankees offense was lifeless. 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position on the night before Ibanez's heroics, Jon Lester and the Boston bullpen dominated the ball game, and the Red Sox held a slim 2-1 lead.

When James Loney cracked a solo shot for Boston in the ninth, it looked like the game would end in bitter disappointment, and the Yankees would have to win and hope for Wednesday. Who knew their prayers would be answered so soon.

 With closer Andrew Bailey on the mound, the Yankees took flight. Curtis Granderson led off the inning with a sharp single to right; Ibanez followed with a two-run homer to right,tying the game and sending Yankee Stadium into bedlam.

After Derek Lowe pitched three shutout innings for the Yankees in extra innings, the Bronx Bombers tattooed their old nemesis Vincente Padilla in the bottom of the 12th.  Walks to Francisco Cervelli and Granderson set the stage for Ibanez, and, once again, he delivered. A single right through the hole in left was deep enough to drive in Cervelli from second, handing the Yankees a 4-3 win.

Now the Yankees can relax a bit and worry about winning just one game to celebrate a division title.