O's begin final Yankee Stadium series with 3-2 loss to New York
The Orioles took an early 2-0 lead. But in the end, they lost by one run for the third straight game. The Yankees beat the Orioles 3-2 Friday night to begin the final regular-season series ever at Yankee Stadium.
Johnny Damon scored on a Radhames Liz wild pitch in the 5th inning to break a 2-2 tie and give New York its 6th win in seven games. The Yankees are 6-2 on their ten-game homestand.
The O's fell to 14 games under .500 and have lost 7 of 10. The Orioles are now 7-9 on the season vs. the Yankees and are 2-18 in their last 20 one-run contests.
Carl Pavano, 4-1, got the win allowing two runs over five innings. Mariano Rivera got the last three outs for his 37th save. He got Brian Roberts to pop out with runners on first and third and two out in the ninth.
The Yankees took their first lead of the game in the fifth. With one out, Damon singled and stole second. He advanced to third on a single and scored on a Liz wild pitch for a 3-2 edge.
New York tied the game 2-2 in the third. Robinson Cano hit a solo homer to right and Brett Gardner added an RBI double.
Adam Jones led off the O's second with a single and stole second base. He later scored on a Lou Montanez sac fly as the O's took a 2-0 lead.
Aubrey Huff's RBI single gave the O's a 1-0 lead in the first inning. It scored Brian Roberts, who led off the game with his 50th double. Nick Markakis was thrown out at the plate on the play by Gardner in center field.
Balt 2-8-0
NYY 3-9-1
Postgame Notes
A Hero and Goat
Brett Gardner is the hero. He saved two runs for New York in a game his team won by one run. He threw a runner out at the plate in the first inning and robbed Luke Scott on a homer in the fourth. Big night for the young center fielder. He also had an RBI double.
Ramon Hernandez is the goat. His failure to block a low pitch in the last of the 5th was ruled wild pitch and the 3rd and eventual winning run scored. Replays showed Hernandez trying to backhand a ball that was low but right at the outside corner. How can a catcher who has played so long have such poor fundamentals. But he did it again in the 8th and it was ruled a wild pitch again. Ramon came to Baltimore with the reputation as a good defensive catcher. Clearly he has been less than adequate many nights this year.
Making Progress
Radhames Liz has put together back to back solid starts. That is progress. We can't forget he has made only 20 career Major League starts, he's like a rookie at mid season. He still may need more seasoning in Triple-A next year. But if he can keep his pitches down he'll be a candidate to win a rotation spot next March. His ERA is 1.88 the last two games.
Final Notes
New York's bullpen tonight combined for four scoreless innings allowing two hits with seven strikeouts......Over the last ten games, the Yankee bullpen ERA is 1.23......Mariano Rivera picked up his 37th save of the year, his 5th this year vs. the Orioles and his 54th in his career vs. the Birds.
Brian Roberts picked up his 50th double of the season in the first inning......That ties the O's club record co-held by Roberts and Miguel Tejada previously......Roberts is batting .361 over his last nine games......He has just 2 RBI his last 16 games........Aubrey Huff went 1-4 with an RBI single and has hit safely in 17 of the last 18 games, batting .380-4-16....He has 74 RBI his last 84 games and 107 RBI on the season to tie his career high of 107 set in 2003.
The O's have now scored two runs or less in 9 of the last 15 games.........The O's have lost five in a row this year vs. New York and are now 3-4 at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees are now 46-33 this year at home and are 73-0 when leading after eight innings.....The O's fall to 4-12 in September and 21-43 in games vs. AL foes.
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog
Liz Good Again
This was another good outing, that's two in a row, for Radhames Liz. He started well and when he gave up runs in the third, didn't panic. This game might be tied if Ramon Hernandez could have blocked his wild pitch better in the fifth inning.
Liz tonight: 6 1/3IP, 8H, 3R-ER, 3BB, 1K.....106 pitches
Liz last two games: 14 1/3IP, 13H, 3R-ER.......1.88 ERA.
His 6 1/3 outing tonight ties for his second longest this year. It's also just his third quality start this season.
The Pen is Mightier
Through the top of the 7th, New York's pen has pitched two scoreless frames tonight. Coming into this game, the Yankees pen has worked to an ERA of 1.38 over the last nine games.
O's Hitters Since June First
.353 - Aubrey Huff
.323 - Nick Markakis
.312 - Brian Roberts
.312 - Melvin Mora
I Want Damon Back in Center
If Johnny Damon were playing center tonight and not Brett Gardner, the O's would have two more runs. No way Damon's weak arm throws out Nick Markakis in the first, as Gardner did. Also, unlikely Damon makes that catch at the wall robbing Luke Scott of a homer as Gardner did in the fourth. So the young outfielder has taken two runs from the O's and knocked in one with a double. Quite an impact on this game. He can play, trust me, I saw this kid in the minors and he is some prospect. I do hate to have to admit that.
Tragic Number
If you are a Yankees fan it wouldn't seem to be the right time. But New York could be eliminated from the playoff race this weekend, the final weekend at Yankee Stadium. Boston's magic number to KO the Yankees is just three.
Huff's RBI
Aubrey Huff's RBI in the first inning was his 107th, that ties his career high set in 2003. Huff had 72 RBI last season.
Chasing 50 (O's Doubles Leaders)
50 - Brian Roberts
48 - Aubrey Huff
47 - Nick Markakis
Brian Roberts picked up his 50th double of this season on the first pitch of tonight's game. He ties the club record of 50 in a season he co holds with Miguel Tejada.
Roberts, Markakis and Huff are trying to become the first trio of teammates to all have 50 or more doubles in the same season in Major League history.
Game Underway
The final regular-season series ever at Yankee Stadium is underway. The O's are 7-8 vs. New York this year and 28-21 in series opening games.
Burres Saturday
Dave Trembley told reporters in New York today that Brian Burres will start Saturday's game vs. the Yankees.
Starting Lineups
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Melvin Mora
1B Aubrey Huff
LF Luke Scott
CF Adam Jones
C Ramon Hernandez
DH Lou Montanez
SS Juan Castro
P Radhames Liz
Yankees
DH Johnny Damon
SS Derek Jeter
RF Bobby Abreu
3B Alex Rodriguez
1B Jason Giambi
LF Xavier Nady
2B Robinson Cano
C Ivan Rodriguez
CF Brett Gardner
P Carl Pavano
The Yankees have won 7 of their last 11 games played at Yankee Stadium and are 45-33 there this year. It's their 17th consecutive winning record at that park, the longest streak currently in the Majors. The O's are 3-3 at Yankee Stadium this year.
Game Preview
Orioles (67-84) at NY Yankees (82-71)
After back-to-back losses by one run in Toronto, the Orioles are in New York to begin their final road series of the year tonight. It's also the final three regular-season games ever at Yankee Stadium.
With Thursday's 3-2 loss, the Birds have now lost 17 of their last 19 one-run games. They have also lost eight and tied one series since their last series victory, in mid August vs. Detroit.
The Orioles need three wins in the final 10 games to top last season's 69-win total.
The O's offense has scored two runs or less in 8 of the last 14 games, including twice in Toronto.
The Yankees beat the White Sox 9-2 Thursday as Mike Mussina picked up his 268th career win, tying O's Hall of Famer Jim Palmer for 33rd all-time in wins. Bobby Abreu hit two homers with 6 RBI.
New York has won 5 of 6 and is 18-13 over 31 games. The Yankees are 5-2 on a ten-game homestand.
New York's all-time regular-season record at Yankee Stadium is 4,130--2,430--17 for a .630 win percentage.
The O's are 7-8 vs. the Yankees this season with four losses in a row. Baltimore is 3-3 this season at Yankee Stadium.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Radhames Liz (6-5, 6.90) tonight makes his 16th start of this season, his 7th on the road and his second of the year vs. New York.
Liz is coming off the best outing of his 19-start career. Sunday he pitched the O's to a win over Minnesota with a career-high eight innings of five-hit, shutout ball. He walked one, fanned four and threw 109 pitches.
In his previous two starts, Liz had allowed 8ER over 12 innings. Sunday's outing produced just his second quality start of this season and the first of his career when he did not allow a run.
Right-handed batters hit .275 vs. Liz while lefties bat .316. The Orioles are 8-7 when Liz starts. In six starts on the road, he is 2-2, 10.96.
Liz vs. New York:
2008: 0-0, 5.79, one start (August 22nd.....4 2/3IP, 9H, 3R-ER)
2007: 0-0, 2.08, two games, no starts
Career: 0-0, 4.00, three games, one start (9IP, 12H, 4R-ER)
RHP Carl Pavano (3-1, 5.26) tonight will make his 6th start of this season, his 3rd at home and his second of the year vs. the Orioles.
Pavano signed a four-year deal with the Yankees in December of 2004, but injuries have limited him to 24 starts with New York. He made 17 in 2005, none in 2006, two last year and five so far in 2008.
Pavano beat the Orioles August 23rd in Baltimore in his Major League debut for this season. In his most recent start, he picked up the win Sunday vs. Tampa. In 5 1/3 innings he gave up five hits and four runs, three earned.
In his first two starts he pitched to an ERA of 3.27. Over his last three starts, Pavano's ERA is 6.75.
Pavano, who has recorded just one quality start, can struggle early in games. In the first two innings of his starts this year, opponents are batting .359 vs. the right-hander.
Right-handed batters hit .244 vs. Pavano and lefties bat .304. Pavano is 2-0, 3.18 in two home starts and the Yankees are 4-1 when he takes the mound.
Pavano vs. the Orioles:
2008: 1-0, 5.40 (August 23rd.....5 1/3IP, 7H, 3R-ER)
2007: 0 appearances
Career: 3-2, 3.48, six starts
O's Hitters, 2008 vs. NYY:
Castro: 2-17/1/3
Cintron: 2-9/0/1
Hernandez: 15-44/3/7
Huff: 21-54/4/19, also 7 2B and .741 slugging percentage
Jones: 13-50/1/10
Markakis: 19-61/1/5
Millar: 20-60/6/10
Montanez: 1-3/0/0
Mora: 14-58/3/10
Payton: 11-26/0/2
Quiroz: 1-12/0/0
Roberts: 16-61/1/5 with 11 runs and 5 steals
Salazar: 0-0
Scott: 9-51/2/4
At the risk of confessing a mortal sin, I admit that I will be rooting for ... the Orioles. I suppose we're supposed to genuflect in homage to the Yankees and their Cathedral of Baseball this weekend. I'll pass.