O’s lose another tight one to New York on Yanks’ 9th-inning rally

The Orioles, all season, have had trouble closing out games by allowing opponents to creep back in games they have led into the late innings. That problem, which cost them in Tuesday’s game in which they gave away a 4-1 run 6^th inning lead, came to a head again in a game the O’s led into the 6^th inning.

Tonight, it was Robinson Cano’s 9^th inning go-ahead solo blast, followed by a triple off the wall from Curtis Granderson (both off reliever Tommy Hunter) who later came into score to put the Yankees ahead for good in New York’s 5-4 victory in what was yet another missed opportunity for the O’s.

After splitting the first two games of their home stand against the Yankees, the Orioles entered the day just 1.5 games off the Wild Card pace, while New York stood just two games back. The game figured to be a pitchers’ duel if recent history was any guide, and the two starters did not disappoint.

Oriole right-hander Scott Feldman was coming off his first career shutout and looking to double-down on a New York team that had shown major life in the second half of the year with a revived lineup featuring the return of 3B Alex Rodriguez and the waiver acquisition of former Oriole Mark Reynolds.

The Yankees countered with formerly-retired great, lefty Andy Pettitte who recently surpassed Hall-of-Famer Whitey Ford for the most 10-win seasons in franchise history with 14, and owned a dominating 28-6 career record against the Birds coming into the game.

Feldman was outstanding and did not allow a hit through the game’s first four innings. Feldman’s breaking pitches especially showed good movement, repeatedly fooling Yankee hitters into groundouts or strike-outs like his second-inning K of Reynolds and fourth-inning strike-out of Rodriguez.

In all, Feldman gave the Birds 7 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on just three hits, striking out six walking two. Tommy Hunter came in to retire Rodriguez on a liner to center to end the 8^th before his 9^th-inning troubles.

Pettitte also looked sharp throughout the game even while allowing hits and base runners. The Orioles did get to him in the third with two-out singles from Brian Roberts and Manny Machado before Chris Davis blasted a two-run double through the Yankees exaggerated shift defense to give the O’s a 2-1 lead.

The Yankees struck in the opening frame with a walk to Brett Gardner, who then stole second and moved to third on a grounder from the loudly-booed Rodriguez before Robinson Cano’s RBI groundout scored the game’s first run.

In the 4^th, the Orioles tacked on their third run on a one-out double from SS JJ Hardy, scoring Danny Valencia. The former Minnesota Twin has been scorching hot at the plate, tying a career high with four hits in the game.

On the other side, it was Yankees slugger Curtis Granderson who ended Feldman’s no-hit bid in the 5^th with a 422-feet Eutaw Street blast over the right field scoreboard to tighten the game to 3-2.

In the 6^th, Rodriguez equalized the score in taking a Feldman sinkerball deep for his 6^th home run of the season.

It was a tense, see-saw game, and stayed that way into the Baltimore 8^th with Manny Machado’s leadoff single to left off reliever David Robertson. But, despite having first-and-third with two outs, the O’s couldn’t get a runner home.

“There’s still a lot of games left,” said O’s manager Buck Showalter who said the team hadn’t lost hope despite the missed chance in the game.

Hunter’s recent difficulties mirrored his performance on Saturday against Chicago in which he also retired the last batter in the 8^th before allowing a run in the 9^th. In that contest, however, the Orioles mounted a successful 9^th-inning rally.

The Orioles did put together a rally with two outs in the 9^th with Nate McLouth’s deep blast to right center that earned him a double. Roberts brought him home on a soft liner to right before Rivera struck out Machado on an 0-2 pitch to finish the game.

On the bullpen troubles, Showalter after the game told reporters that he would go with his “best option” in the bullpen, be it Tommy Hunter or Troy Patton with a reported injury to usual set-up man Darren O’Day.

Despite the great pitching from Feldman, and four runs of offense, in the end the O’s just couldn’t complete the job.

GAME NOTES:

With the win, the Yankees move, at least for one game, ahead of Baltimore and Cleveland in the Wild Card standings.

In spite of this being a series against the Yankees, the stands were only about half-full with 20,141 in attendance, with large swaths of empty seats in the upper deck, right field near the foul pole, and left field. Most of the lower seating bowl was full with a smattering of Yankees fans scattered amongst a sea of orange but a far cry from the Bronx South Camden Yards had become in recent years.

Granderson’s homer was the 76^th all-time home run to reach Eutaw Street and the 10^th this season to Eutaw Street, the most-ever in a season.

With his double, Davis became the first ever Orioles 40/40 man- with 40 doubles and 40 home runs.