Machado walks it off vs Yanks in gut wrenching 7-6 loss
The Yankees had not won a series in Baltimore since September of 2013, and they had a chance to change that on Tuesday night in wet and muggy Baltimore. Bad weather caused the start time of the game to be delayed more than two hours, with first pitch being scheduled for around 9:15 PM. The Yanks did not let the delay affect them, as they scored all their runs in the third inning, and jumped out to a commanding lead. Yet, the Yanks could not tack on any more runs after the third, and the Orioles made them pay, as Manny Machado delivered two home runs, the second being a two run walk off, as the Orioles stole one from the Yankees by the score of 7-6.
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| Photo Credit: AP Patrick Semansky |
The Orioles gave C.C Sabathia headaches in the first inning, as they were able to get a run across with two infield hits, a walk, and the assistance of a wild pitch that advanced both runners into scoring position, all with two outs. In fact, the first three Oriole hits were all infield hits, which possibly could anger C.C.
The Yankee offense was a bit lethargic the first time through the order, yet they absolutely exploded in the third inning, batting around while being boosted by Austin Romine getting the first hit of the game out of the nine spot to lead it all off. Romine would be followed by Aaron Judge who worked a walk and then by Starlin Castro who was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Didi.
Didi was patient in his at-bat, and came through for the Yanks, sitting on a breaking ball in the zone and sending it over the second baseman's head for a two run base hit, scoring Romine and Judge to put the Yanks ahead. This was only the beginning of the Yanks big inning, as Hellickson would not last much longer. After walking Matt Holliday on four pitches to reload the bases, Buck Showalter came out of the dugout in disgust and pulled Hellickson after just two and a third innings pitched and brought on the lefty Bleier to face Greg Bird.
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| Photo Credit: AP Patrick Semansky |
Bird hit a routine fly ball to center, as it appeared it was going to be a 50/50 play at home plate with Jones ready to catch and throw in center. Except, Jones did not make the routine catch, instead being too concerned with the throw that he forgot to catch the ball, allowing each runner to advance a base as Castro scored to make it 3-1. Todd Frazier would register an RBI ground out in the next at-bat, and Jacoby Ellsbury ripped a single up the middle to score two more runs, making it 6-1 Yankees.
The Orioles answered right back in the bottom half of the third, as the A.L player of the month in August Manny Machado started the inning off by belting his 31st home run of the season to cut the deficit to four. The Orioles were not done with the long ball, as Jonathan Schoop and Mark Trumbo each went deep off C.C to bring the score to 6-5 Yanks, and ending C.Cs night in the sixth.
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| Photo Credit: AP Patrick Semansky |
Tommy Kahnle came on to relieve C.C in the sixth, and despite throwing more pitches than he intended to, got the job done and kept the Yankee lead in check. David Robertson came out to pitch the bottom of the seventh, and worked a perfect inning that only required 10 pitches from D Rob.
The Yanks entered the 8th inning with a sense of urgency to add some insurance runs, as they had not scored in any other inning besides the third, in which they scored all six of their runs. The 8th started off favorably for the Yanks, with Ellsbury getting his second hit of the game and Gardner poking an infield hit to put two runners on for the heart of the Yankee order. With two important insurance runs on base, Judge and Starlin both could not deliver a big hit, keeping the score at 6-5 going to the bottom of the 8th.
On to pitch the 8th was Aroldis Chapman, who like Robertson, set the Orioles down one two three, and brought the game to the ninth inning with the Yanks up by one looking to close on one out past midnight on the East coast. Zach Britton came on to pitch for the O’s in the ninth, looking to keep it a one run game. Britton faced Didi, Holliday, and Bird in the inning, and got all three out with ease, doing his job and giving the Orioles one last chance to break through with another run against Dellin Betances.
The Orioles would do more than breakthrough against Betances, as Tim Beckham worked a two out walk to bring the go ahead run in Machado, who had already gone deep earlier in the game. Machado was locked in at the plate, and he left no doubt about his second long ball of the night, which won the game for the Orioles as they took it 7-6, crushing the spirits of the Yankees. The series finale will be tomorrow at four, as Sonny Gray will try and shutdown this high powered Orioles offense as the Yanks are still in search of that elusive series win at Camden Yards.
The Orioles would do more than breakthrough against Betances, as Tim Beckham worked a two out walk to bring the go ahead run in Machado, who had already gone deep earlier in the game. Machado was locked in at the plate, and he left no doubt about his second long ball of the night, which won the game for the Orioles as they took it 7-6, crushing the spirits of the Yankees. The series finale will be tomorrow at four, as Sonny Gray will try and shutdown this high powered Orioles offense as the Yanks are still in search of that elusive series win at Camden Yards.
Winning Pitcher: Zach Britton (2-0, 2.78 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Losing Pitcher: Dellin Betances (3-6, 2.73 ERA): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Notables:
Jacoby Ellsbury: 2-3, 2 RBI
Didi Gregorius: 1-4, 2 RBI
Greg Bird: 1-4, RBI
Starlin Castro: 2-4, R
Article by: Matt Luzzi
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