Britton much better against Yankees (O's win, 2-0)

Remember the last time Zach Britton faced the Yankees? He retired one batter, was charged with six runs (nine total) and seven hits, and put the Orioles in a huge hole in Game 2 of a doubleheader in New York back on July 30. It's been a different story today. Britton is blanking the Yankees on four hits over six innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. Britton has thrown 110 pitches, including 67 for strikes. He just retired Alex Rodriguez on a bouncer to third baseman Robert Andino to strand Mark Teixeira on first as Chris Jakubauskas warmed in the bullpen. If only the Orioles could give Britton a lead. They've reached Bartolo Colon for only two hits through five innings - Mark Reynolds' double in the second and single in the fifth. Britton held the Twins to one run over five innings in his previous start. Doing the math here, he's allowed one run in his last 11 innings. Update: Make that seven scoreless for Britton. He retired the side in order in the seventh on 10 pitches, raising his total to 120. Update II: Nick Markakis led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to right field, and he scored with one out on Vladimir Guerrero's single into right. Orioles 1, Yankees 0. Jim Johnson has replaced Britton, who pitched a gem. Today's attendance: 28,751 Update III: J.J. Hardy provided a big insurance run with a two-out single in the eighth that scored Mark Reynolds, after the Orioles put runners on the corners with no outs and drew close to wasting a golden opportunity. Kevin Gregg got a big double-play grounder from Alex Rodriguez in the ninth to seal a 2-0 victory and record his 19th save. Haven't heard enough from Yankees manager Joe Girardi? Here's a little more regarding whether they'll play the makeup game on Sept. 8: "I'll let the powers to be handle that," he said. "We'll just worry about playing these games, getting two games in today and playing tomorrow and trying to win the series." Girardi says the Orioles proposed back-to-back doubleheaders today and tomorrow. "Physically, how do you do that?" he said. "I mean, how do you physically do that when you're playing day after day after day? You talk about risking injury to players and trying to manage a pitching staff. I don't think it's physically possible. It's not fair to the product of the game. It's one thing if you have to make them up at the end of the year as the last two days of the season and you have to do it and you have extra bodies."