Baltimore, MD - Johnny Damon went 3-for-5, drove in two runs and scored four times as the New York Yankees outslugged the Baltimore Orioles, 10-6, in the finale of a three-game set.
Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-2 and was walked three times, and is still one homer shy of career number 500.
Melky Cabrera also had a three-hit day, scoring twice and driving in a run for the Yankees, who stopped a three-game skid. Chien-Ming Wang (12-5) let up nine hits and three runs with four walks and one strikeout in six innings.
Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis each had three hits, and Brian Roberts homered and drove in three for the Orioles, who saw their six-game win streak come to an end. Daniel Cabrera (7-11) gave up six hits and four runs while fanning five and walking five in six innings.
The Yankees put the game away with five runs in the eighth. Cabrera singled to center and pinch-hitter Jorge Posada walked. Damon plated one run with a double to right-center and, after Derek Jeter walked to load the bases, Bobby Abreu ripped a two-run single to right. Rodriguez was walked, and Hideki Matsui’s fielder’s choice grounder scored another run. Robinson Cano’s RBI double padded the New York lead to six runs.
Roberts’ two-run blast with one out in the home half cut the Yankees lead to four.
Damon and Abreu walked, sandwiching a Jeter single in the first to load the bases for Rodriguez. Facing an opportunity to become the first player in MLB history to hit a grand slam for his 500th homer, Rodriguez struck out. Matsui plated one run with a sacrifice fly, but Cano grounded out to end the threat.
Cabrera’s RBI double and Damon’s RBI single extended the Yankees lead in the second, and Jeter and Abreu both worked one-out walks, again bringing Rodriguez to the plate with the bases full. He only managed a soft grounder to second, though, scoring Damon, but Jeter was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Luis Hernandez put the Orioles on the board with a clutch single to center with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, cutting the Yankees lead to 4-2.
Roberts’ RBI single in the sixth pulled Baltimore to within one run. Matsui lofted a sac fly in the seventh to restore the two-run lead for the Yanks.
Aubrey Huff plated another Baltimore run with a sac fly in the seventh, cutting the New York lead to 5-4.
Game Notes
Baltimore outhit the Yankees, 15-14…The Orioles also topped the Yanks in runners left on base, 12-10…The start of the game was delayed 42 minutes due to rain.
