Kelly Johnson: "It feels like a first-place team" (plus other clubhouse quotes)

For the second time in the series, the Orioles beat the Yankees with a walk-off win.

Kelly Johnson's double was the last of three in the ninth for the Orioles against Yankees closer David Robertson as the Birds stunned the Yankees 3-2 at Camden Yards.

"It is really, really exciting," Johnson said. "I'm not going to lie. It feels really good. You want to contribute and be a part of it.

"It feels like a first-place team. I've bounced around a little bit now and you know, you just get a feel. Sometimes it's just meant to be. You find a way to win, rather than ways to lose. It's been pretty cool. I haven't been here long but I've seen some things I haven't seen before."

Once again for the Orioles, it seems to be a different guy every night.

"Yeah, big time. The fact that our pitching keeps us so close gives us a chance to do that," Johnson said. "You can't take any kind of credit without looking at those guys first. When games are that close, it allows a different guy every night."

Johnson was asked if it felt good to beat his former team.

"Yeah it does. I have a lot of former teams now," Johnson said. "Feels good each time. The most important thing is this team is in first place and we're rolling. It is close enough to taste."

Steve Pearce followed Nelson Cruz's leadoff double in the ninth with one of his own and that tied the game 2-2. Pearce said Cruz had a big hit that got it all started.

"Huge. Huge. The hit was huge," Pearce said. "To lead off with a hit against the closer gave us a better shot at winning. Then he busted it into second and that was awesome and you could see everyone in the dugout get fired up.

"We had an electric crowd out there. (The) Derek Jeter thing was special too, but it was a big win, a fun win. To do it in front of that crowd was great.

"This is a great team. We knew when the ninth inning come around we were not out of that game. We are always one swing away. It's fun."

Pearce was asked about being so close to a division title. If the Orioles take two of three from Toronto in the next series, the division title is secured.

"To win the division is definitely special," Pearce said. "So, to win it early when we can kind of ... shoot I don't know how we are going to play or how Buck will approach it. Just keep playing our game and we'll see from there."

Chris Tillman did not get a decision tonight, but gave up just one run over 6 2/3 innings.

"It was good. Made a mistake early and we were able to work out of the big inning there," Tillman said. "Nicky (Hundley) did a great job behind the plate. We were on the same page all night."

Tillman was asked about his streak of 19 straight starts allowing three or fewer earned runs.

"I think it comes back to command," he said. "You have to command the fastball to both sides (of the plate) and throw your offspeed when you need to. Most of it has to go to Nicky. He's doing the pitch calling, I'm just the one throwing it. He's been fantastic and our defense has been the same.

"In this clubhouse you're never down. These guys day in and day out grind and it's fun to watch."

Adam Jones talked about Johnson's game-winning hit and the Orioles being on the doorstep of a division title.

"Kelly Johnson, you look at his average and all the stuff and say he's not the guy in that spot, but the guy's been around for 10 years," Jones said. "He's been in those situations before and he didn't blink an eye and he comes through.

"First off, we've got to handle tomorrow. That's most important. Handle tomorrow then assess from there and handle Tuesday. You can't get too caught up in it. We've got to take care of our business. Once they say it's ours, we go accordingly. But until they do, we've got something to do."

This was the Orioles' 10th walk-off win of the season and third against New York.