Yankees Take Opener Against Orioles

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 30th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Orioles 5 Yankees 8

The New York Yankees were able to start their series at home against the Baltimore Orioles on a positive not with a victory on Friday night after two straight losing series against division opponents. The win moves the Yankees to (71-63) on the seasons, which are four games behind the second Wild Card spot.

C.C. Sabathia was looking good for the first three innings of this game, but after that it was a tough go of it for Sabathia, who once again got hit hard after the third inning. Sabathia was still able to get his 12th win thanks to a lot of offense, and some great pitching from the Yankees bullpen. In the fourth inning Chris Davis broke up the scoreless game with a single that scored Manny Machado. In the fifth inning after being given a lead by the offense, Sabathia gave it right back to the Orioles, as Danny Valencia hit a two-run homerun, and then later in that inning Machado singled home Alexi Casilla to cap off the three-run inning. In the sixth inning the Orioles would get their final run off Sabathia on a Nick Markakis single that scored Adam Jones, and led to Sabathia getting pulled. Sabathia went just 5.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk.



Orioles Starter Miguel Gonzalez had a rough start, as he picked up his seventh loss of the season. Like Sabathia Gonzalez was solid thru three innings, but in the fourth Alfonso Soriano took him deep on a two-run home run, which was Soriano’s 12th home run since joining the Yankees. The fifth inning was the big one for the Yankees in this game, as the offense scored five runs, which was started by a RBI double from Mark Reynolds that scored Curtis Granderson. The next batter Ichiro Suzuki hit his seventh home run of the season that scored Reynolds, and gave the Yankees back the lead at the time. Robinson Cano, back in the lineup after being hit on the hand came thru in the clutch with the bases loaded, as he singled home Austin Romine and Brett Gardner. Gonzalez would go just four innings allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks.

Alex Rodriguez would get the Yankees an insurance run in the seventh inning off of Francisco Rodriguez, as A-Rod hit a base-hit that scored Cano, and was the final run of the game.

The bullpen for the Yankees did a very good job holding the lead in this game, as they went 3.1 innings without allowing a run. The only time things got a bit interesting was in the eighth, as David Robertson allowed a walk and a base-hit, but he got out of it to earn his 31st hold of the season, before Rivera would shut it down in the ninth inning for save number 39.

Next up the Yankees will look to win the series on Saturday afternoon, as Ivan Nova (7-4, 3.14) will be facing off against Scott Feldman (11-9, 3.87).