Yankees Sports > Baseball
Originally published: October 11, 2012 6:59 PM
Updated: October 12, 2012 12:40 AM
By ERIK BOLAND [email protected]
Photo credit: AP | Alex Rodriguez tosses his bat after striking out to end the sixth inning of Game 4 of the ALDS. (Oct. 11, 2012)
On Wednesday night, Raul Ibañez dramatically bailed out the Yankees after yet another floundering performance by their offense in the ALDS. But in Thursday night's Game 4, there was no such hero, and after their 2-1, 13-inning loss to the Orioles, the Yankees find themselves in a deciding Game 5 they had hoped to avoid.
CC Sabathia, who pitched well in Game 1, will take the mound Friday trying to extend the AL East champions' season. The lefthander has been on a roll, but he'll likely need more help than the Yankees' pitchers received in Game 4.
The Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10, the continuation of a trend established early in the series. Three of the four games have been decided by one run and the fourth was tied entering the ninth.
ALDS Boxscores: Game 4 | Game 3 | Game 2 | Game 1
J.J. Hardy's one-out double off David Phelps in the 13th drove in 20-year-old rookie Manny Machado, the No. 9 hitter, who led off the inning with a double.
Orioles closer Jim Johnson, who was charged with five runs in the ninth inning of Game 1 and allowed Ibañez's tying homer in the ninth inning of Game 3, pitched a perfect 13th. He retired Eric Chavez, pinch hitting for Alex Rodriguez, on a liner to third to end it.
Joba Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless 11th and started the 12th, left after Matt Wieters led off with a broken-bat single to left. The barrel of the bat twirled straight at Chamberlain (who missed much of the season after suffering a bizarre ankle injury on a trampoline during spring training) and hit him on the right elbow. He threw several warmup pitches in front of Joe Girardi, trainer Steve Donohue and pitching coach Larry Rothschild and said he could continue. But after watching him, Girardi called on Phelps, who retired three straight. X-rays taken were negative, but Chamberlain suffered a right elbow contusion.
The night began on a somber note as the stadium observed a moment of silence for Girardi's father, Jerry, who passed away Saturday. Girardi will attend services Monday.
The Yankees had a good chance to take the lead in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with one out, but with manager Buck Showalter making two pitching changes, the Orioles escaped the jam. After Luis Ayala allowed singles by Ichiro Suzuki and Mark Teixeira to begin the inning, Robinson Cano's soft grounder to second off lefty Brian Matusz moved them up. But Darren O'Day struck out Rodriguez and got Nick Swisher to fly out to right to keep the score tied at 1-1. At that point, it was A-Rod's ninth strikeout in 15 ALDS at-bats.
Phil Hughes pitched his way out of trouble in the first. He walked Nate McLouth and Hardy followed with a bunt that hugged the first-base line all the way to the bag for a single. But Chris Davis flied to left and Adam Jones flied to center, with McLouth going to third. Wieters ended the 21-pitch inning by flying to deep center.
In the third, Hughes walked Machado and McLouth ripped a double into the rightfield corner. But when Hardy chopped one back to Hughes, Machado took off for home and Russell Martin put the tag on him for the first out. Hughes then struck out Davis and got Jones to ground out to second.
McLouth finally broke the scoreless tie in the fifth, leading off by driving Hughes' 1-and-2 pitch -- a 91-mph fastball right down the middle -- into the stands in right-center. Hughes allowed 35 homers during the regular season, tied for second-most in the majors.
The Yankees broke through in the sixth. Derek Jeter started the inning by slicing a double down the rightfield line for the 198th postseason hit of his career, extending his all-time record. Ichiro's sacrifice bunt moved him to third and Teixeira walked to put runners at the corners. Cano's chopper to second wasn't hit hard enough for the Orioles to turn two and Jeter scored to tie it. Showalter brought on righty Tommy Hunter to face A-Rod, who struck out to end the inning.
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Originally published: October 11, 2012 6:59 PM
Updated: October 12, 2012 12:40 AM
By ERIK BOLAND [email protected]
Photo credit: AP | Alex Rodriguez tosses his bat after striking out to end the sixth inning of Game 4 of the ALDS. (Oct. 11, 2012)
On Wednesday night, Raul Ibañez dramatically bailed out the Yankees after yet another floundering performance by their offense in the ALDS. But in Thursday night's Game 4, there was no such hero, and after their 2-1, 13-inning loss to the Orioles, the Yankees find themselves in a deciding Game 5 they had hoped to avoid.
CC Sabathia, who pitched well in Game 1, will take the mound Friday trying to extend the AL East champions' season. The lefthander has been on a roll, but he'll likely need more help than the Yankees' pitchers received in Game 4.
The Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10, the continuation of a trend established early in the series. Three of the four games have been decided by one run and the fourth was tied entering the ninth.
ALDS Boxscores: Game 4 | Game 3 | Game 2 | Game 1
J.J. Hardy's one-out double off David Phelps in the 13th drove in 20-year-old rookie Manny Machado, the No. 9 hitter, who led off the inning with a double.
Orioles closer Jim Johnson, who was charged with five runs in the ninth inning of Game 1 and allowed Ibañez's tying homer in the ninth inning of Game 3, pitched a perfect 13th. He retired Eric Chavez, pinch hitting for Alex Rodriguez, on a liner to third to end it.
Joba Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless 11th and started the 12th, left after Matt Wieters led off with a broken-bat single to left. The barrel of the bat twirled straight at Chamberlain (who missed much of the season after suffering a bizarre ankle injury on a trampoline during spring training) and hit him on the right elbow. He threw several warmup pitches in front of Joe Girardi, trainer Steve Donohue and pitching coach Larry Rothschild and said he could continue. But after watching him, Girardi called on Phelps, who retired three straight. X-rays taken were negative, but Chamberlain suffered a right elbow contusion.
The night began on a somber note as the stadium observed a moment of silence for Girardi's father, Jerry, who passed away Saturday. Girardi will attend services Monday.
The Yankees had a good chance to take the lead in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with one out, but with manager Buck Showalter making two pitching changes, the Orioles escaped the jam. After Luis Ayala allowed singles by Ichiro Suzuki and Mark Teixeira to begin the inning, Robinson Cano's soft grounder to second off lefty Brian Matusz moved them up. But Darren O'Day struck out Rodriguez and got Nick Swisher to fly out to right to keep the score tied at 1-1. At that point, it was A-Rod's ninth strikeout in 15 ALDS at-bats.
Phil Hughes pitched his way out of trouble in the first. He walked Nate McLouth and Hardy followed with a bunt that hugged the first-base line all the way to the bag for a single. But Chris Davis flied to left and Adam Jones flied to center, with McLouth going to third. Wieters ended the 21-pitch inning by flying to deep center.
In the third, Hughes walked Machado and McLouth ripped a double into the rightfield corner. But when Hardy chopped one back to Hughes, Machado took off for home and Russell Martin put the tag on him for the first out. Hughes then struck out Davis and got Jones to ground out to second.
McLouth finally broke the scoreless tie in the fifth, leading off by driving Hughes' 1-and-2 pitch -- a 91-mph fastball right down the middle -- into the stands in right-center. Hughes allowed 35 homers during the regular season, tied for second-most in the majors.
The Yankees broke through in the sixth. Derek Jeter started the inning by slicing a double down the rightfield line for the 198th postseason hit of his career, extending his all-time record. Ichiro's sacrifice bunt moved him to third and Teixeira walked to put runners at the corners. Cano's chopper to second wasn't hit hard enough for the Orioles to turn two and Jeter scored to tie it. Showalter brought on righty Tommy Hunter to face A-Rod, who struck out to end the inning.
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