The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 in 12 innings to take a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series matchup. In typical Yankees fashion, it was a dramatic finish, with a pair of Raul Ibanez homers turning a 2-1, ninth inning Orioles lead into a 3-2 loss.
This was a game dominated by pitching, specifically Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez and Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda. Gonzalez went seven, and allowed just one run on five hits, walking none and striking out eight. Kuroda allowed two runs on five hits over 8 1/3, walking one and striking out three. The difference between the two was the pair of solo homers that Kuroda allowed to Ryan Flaherty (third inning) and Manny Machado (fifth inning).
The Yankees were completely shut down by Gonzalez. Their one run came in the third, when Derek Jeter tripled Russell Martin home on a ball that Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones completely misplayed and should have caught to end the inning. In fact, that third inning was the only time all night when the Yankees had any runners in scoring position. They were lucky to escape with one run against Gonzalez, who was game and absolutely shut them down.
The Orioles offense also had a quiet night aside from the two solo homers. Their only other prime scoring opportunity came in the fourth inning, when they loaded the bases against Kuroda with the benefit of just one hit and came away with nothing.
But then the ninth inning rolled around, and Jim Johnson had his second disappointing outing of the series. He allowed a game-tying, solo homer to Raul Ibanez, but completed the rest of his two innings of work without issue. Baltimore's offense continued to struggled with Kuroda out of the game, managing just a pair of hits in 3 2/3 innings against the Yankee bullpen. They had Robert Andino on second with one out in the tenth, but Nate McLouth lined into a double play to end that threat, and Mark Reynolds managed an infield single with two outs in the 12th against David Robertson and went nowhere.
Then to lead off the New York half of the 12th against Brian Matusz, Ibanez smashed his second homer of the night, a walkoff bomb to right. Ibanez came into the game to pinch hit for Alex Rodriguez in the ninth, and who would have imagined that the guy who would end up as the hero going down in history with the likes of Aaron Boone, Jim Leyritz, and Bucky Dent would be a guy who was sgined off the scrap heap before the season? And here we are.
The Yankees will look to win the series tomorrow. Game four will take place at Yankee Stadium, and first pitch is scheduled for 7:37 PM. Joe Saunders, the winner of Baltimore's Wild Card playoff with the Rangers, will get the start against Phil Hughes for the Yankees.
