BALTIMORE – In a game that began with Navy parachutists landing in Camden Yards, War of 1812 re-enactors marching into the outfield, a massive replica flag and a touching ceremony for retiring Yankee Derek Jeter, the final game in Baltimore for the Yankees in 2014 would be one to remember.
The Orioles, down 2-1 in the 9th had three hits from the four batters who faced Yankees closer David Robertson to win a pitcher’s duel 3-2 on Kelly Johnson’s RBI double. The win, with a loss by the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the day, moved Baltimore’s “Magic Number” to clinch their first AL East title since 1997 to just three.
Chris Tillman pitched 6 2/3 with only one run allowed on five hits and a wild pitch before being relieved by Andrew Miller and Darren O’Day.
The game began well in the second for the Yanks and could have been even bigger when Yankee third baseman Martin Prado blasted a poorly-placed 1-2 pitch from Chris Tillman just out of the reach of Oriole left fielder Alejandro De Aza for a homer. Catcher Brian McCann followed with a single and moved to second on a throwing error by De Aza. Mark Teixeira then singled to right, creating first-and-third for the Yanks before Tillman retired the next three batters in order to end the inning.
“It starts and ends with the pitching,” said O’s manager Buck Showalter. “That’s something we talked a lot of times about with Chris. That’s a real difference for him and for all our pitchers when they minimize the damage.”
Over the first four innings Hiroki Kuroda almost completely befuddled the Birds, allowing just a J.J. Hardy double over that period. While the game seemed a pitchers’ duel, Kuroda did not labor, while Tillman had the rough second inning to overcome.
The Orioles managed few threats early, with the two-out Hardy double in the second that failed to produce a run their only baserunner through four. In the 5th, it was again Hardy getting on base, with a one-out broken-bat squibber that blooped just past Kuroda with no chance for a play by the Yankees infield. After another out, Nick Hundley blooped a second hit down the right field line, just inside the chalk. Jonathan Schoop, though, grounded into a force to end the threat.
In the 6th, the Orioles finally got even. With one out, De Aza smacked a single to center before Adam Jones broke the dam with a liner down the left field line that was curving foul, but was touched by the leaping Prado, making the ball a fair ball. With De Aza running on the play, he scored easily as Jones took second. Nelson Cruz chopped out, but Steve Pearce grounded into the hole, and though a diving Jeter saved a run, Pearce reached first on the infield hit. Hardy then popped out to center, ending the inning.
Tillman continued to battle. In the 7th, Tillman, after 112 pitches, got Stephen Drew to ground out to first, but with a man on third, Miller entered to strike out Carlos Beltran to keep the score deadlocked. Tillman ended up with six strikeouts, one earned run (on the home run) and a wild pitch. This was the 19th consecutive quality start for Tillman.
“I was going to let him try to pitch the 7th clean. I was going to give him one more hitter but just didn’t like where he was. He kind of emptied the tank,” said Showalter.
In relief, Miller stayed in for the 8th and retired the Bombers in order pitching 1 1/3 with three strikeouts. Dellin Betances came in to relieve Kuroda in the bottom of the 8th and retired the side in order.
Darren O’Day entered to pitch the 9th for the Orioles but allowed a one-out, towering go-ahead home run to McCann on a 2-0 fastball on the inside part of the plate that landed over the scoreboard in right, before getting the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Yet, the Orioles were not ready to quit. Slugger Nelson Cruz led off the bottom of the 9th driving a 3-1 pitch from Yankees closer David Robertson into the left field corner and slid in for a leadoff double.
With Quintin Berry pinch running, Steve Pearce lined a 2-2 pitch from Robertson also into the left corner, scoring Berry and bringing Hardy to the plate.
After nearly bunting for a base hit – the ball eventually rolled foul – Hardy flew out to left and was unable to advance Pearce.
But Kelly Johnson blasted a double to right for the win and the Yankees were forced to leave without a win for their venerable captain on his night.
“That’s what I kinda look back on,” said Showalter. “A lot of good at-bats in the 9th.”
NOTES: The ceremony honoring Jeter featured a lengthy applause from the large Sunday night crowd and gifts from the Orioles including a Navy captain’s hat for the Yankee captain given to him by a Navy admiral in attendance, a bushel of crabs from former Oriole slugger and restaurateur Boog Powell with an oversized #2 mallet, a cake and a $10,000 check in Jeter’s name to a Sarasota charity presented by Jeter’s former manager Showalter and longest-tenured Oriole Nick Markakis. 43,947 crowd; 2,246,455 season. The Orioles wore red and white and blue uniforms in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner.
