Orioles go back-to-back to start game (O's lose 6-5)
By Roch Kubatko
NEW YORK - The Orioles lined the railing of the visiting dugout at Yankee Stadium tonight to watch a video tribute to Derek Jeter. Players applauded after it ended, a nice show of respect.
The sentimental mood disappeared like baseballs into the night.
Nick Markakis hit a ball into the second deck while fans were chanting Jeter's name as part of the traditional roll call, and Alejandro De Aza followed with a home run to give the Orioles a quick 2-0 lead.
Maybe that's how the Orioles wanted to pay tribute to Jeter. Tally his number after two batters.
Hiroki Kuroda didn't serve up a home run in his first four starts against the Orioles. Tonight must really be special.
Markakis has two leadoff home runs, the other coming on Aug. 3.
The Orioles went back-to-back for the seventh time this season. They hadn't done it to start a game since Jerry Hairston and Mike Bordick homered on June 6, 2001 at Yankee Stadium.
Jeter countered in the bottom of the first, following Brett Gardner's leadoff single with a double off the fence in left-center field. Jeter moved to third on Kevin Gausman's wild pitch and scored on Kelly Johnson's error.
Johnson, playing in shallow right field, bobbled Brian McCann's ground ball and threw late.
Goodbye lead.
Gausman threw 35 pitches in the inning, allowing two runs and three hits.
Every Yankee is coming to the plate tonight to one of Jeter's walk-up songs. Nice gesture.
Manager Buck Showalter talked about Jeter earlier today during his pregame session with the media.
"Nobody played the game with more emotion under the radar," he said.
"I was so proud of him yesterday. He had that tough at-bat and grounded back to the pitcher. I could tell (fans) were trying to get him out of the dugout, and I turned to a couple of our guys and I said, 'He ain't coming out. Watch.' That's all you needed to know about Derek, because it didn't fit in the context of what was going on in the field.
"Somebody asked me, 'What's his signature play?' Somebody said the jump play in the hole. I said, 'He did that to get a guy out, to win. It wasn't to draw attention to himself.' His signature is winning. What better accolade can you give a guy? His teams won.
"I hope that doesn't happen tonight."
Update: We're still tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
Gausman allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, with one walk, five strikeouts and a wild pitch. He threw 97 pitches, 65 strikes.
Gausman retired 13 of the last 15 batters. He didn't surrender a hit after the first inning.
Two errors forced Gausman to elevate his pitch count. Otherwise, he may have been able to return for the sixth.
Update II: The Orioles have tied their season high with three errors tonight and they're trailing 5-2 in the eighth.
The Yankees scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh, all charged to T.J. McFarland. Caleb Joseph had a passed ball on a strikeout and J.J. Hardy committed a throwing error on Derek Jeter's ground ball with the bases loaded and one out.
Jeter was credited with an RBI and the second run scored on the errant throw.
Brian McCann had a sacrifice fly off Brian Matusz to increase the Yankees' lead to 5-2.
Kuroda has retired 13 in a row.
Update III: Kuroda retired 16 in a row, the Yankees called upon David Robertson and now we're tied.
The Orioles had one hit after the back-to-back home runs to start the game, but Adam Jones hit a two-run homer off Robertson with one out in the ninth and Steve Pearce homered with two outs. Fans kept chanting Jeter's name. Everyone in the press box wondered whether manager Joe Girardi would remove him before the final out.
This is surreal.
The Orioles are 26-0 when they hit three or more home runs.
Update IV: Jeter delivered a walk-off single off Evan Meek to give the Yankees a 6-5 win over the Orioles.
Of course he did.
Jose Pirela led off the ninth with a single and Antoan Richardson pinch-ran. Richardson took second on Gardner's bunt, bringing Jeter to the plate.
Jeter slapped a single to right field and leaped in the air between first and second.
The Angels' magic number for clinching home field is down to one game.
Jeter countered in the bottom of the first, following Brett Gardner's leadoff single with a double off the fence in left-center field. Jeter moved to third on Kevin Gausman's wild pitch and scored on Kelly Johnson's error.
Johnson, playing in shallow right field, bobbled Brian McCann's ground ball and threw late.
Goodbye lead.
Gausman threw 35 pitches in the inning, allowing two runs and three hits.
Every Yankee is coming to the plate tonight to one of Jeter's walk-up songs. Nice gesture.
Manager Buck Showalter talked about Jeter earlier today during his pregame session with the media.
"Nobody played the game with more emotion under the radar," he said.
"I was so proud of him yesterday. He had that tough at-bat and grounded back to the pitcher. I could tell (fans) were trying to get him out of the dugout, and I turned to a couple of our guys and I said, 'He ain't coming out. Watch.' That's all you needed to know about Derek, because it didn't fit in the context of what was going on in the field.
"Somebody asked me, 'What's his signature play?' Somebody said the jump play in the hole. I said, 'He did that to get a guy out, to win. It wasn't to draw attention to himself.' His signature is winning. What better accolade can you give a guy? His teams won.
"I hope that doesn't happen tonight."
Update: We're still tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
Gausman allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, with one walk, five strikeouts and a wild pitch. He threw 97 pitches, 65 strikes.
Gausman retired 13 of the last 15 batters. He didn't surrender a hit after the first inning.
Two errors forced Gausman to elevate his pitch count. Otherwise, he may have been able to return for the sixth.
Update II: The Orioles have tied their season high with three errors tonight and they're trailing 5-2 in the eighth.
The Yankees scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh, all charged to T.J. McFarland. Caleb Joseph had a passed ball on a strikeout and J.J. Hardy committed a throwing error on Derek Jeter's ground ball with the bases loaded and one out.
Jeter was credited with an RBI and the second run scored on the errant throw.
Brian McCann had a sacrifice fly off Brian Matusz to increase the Yankees' lead to 5-2.
Kuroda has retired 13 in a row.
Update III: Kuroda retired 16 in a row, the Yankees called upon David Robertson and now we're tied.
The Orioles had one hit after the back-to-back home runs to start the game, but Adam Jones hit a two-run homer off Robertson with one out in the ninth and Steve Pearce homered with two outs. Fans kept chanting Jeter's name. Everyone in the press box wondered whether manager Joe Girardi would remove him before the final out.
This is surreal.
The Orioles are 26-0 when they hit three or more home runs.
Update IV: Jeter delivered a walk-off single off Evan Meek to give the Yankees a 6-5 win over the Orioles.
Of course he did.
Jose Pirela led off the ninth with a single and Antoan Richardson pinch-ran. Richardson took second on Gardner's bunt, bringing Jeter to the plate.
Jeter slapped a single to right field and leaped in the air between first and second.
The Angels' magic number for clinching home field is down to one game.
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