Yankees bring brooms to Baltimore

An intense game turned into a blowout in the ninth inning when the Yankees (85-48) rallied for seven runs to beat the Orioles (54-80) 10-2 and earn the sweep. It was the sixth win in a row for the Bronx Bombers.

Quick ‘Cap:
Eric Hinske’s homer in the third tied it up at 1, and Alex Rodriguez’s two-run single in the seventh proved to be the game-winner. A solo homer for the Orioles in the eighth made it 3-2, but the seven-run rally in the ninth blew the game wide open.

It all started with a walk (typical) from Derek Jeter (not-so-typical). Then a single and a walk later, A-Rod lined another two-run single. Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Jose Molina, Jeter and Johnny Damon added RBI singles after that. That my friends, is a rally.

It was CC Sabathia who held down the Orioles to just one run over seven innings. A high pitch count, partially due to his seven hits allowed, forced him out of the game after seven. But it made way for Brian Bruney to allow his standard one run per outing. “The Philthies” finished it off, and Hughes got his second save of the year. Full box score here.

Thoughts:
All I saw in this wonderful win was Nick Swisher’s fly out in the ninth, and Hughes strike out the side in the bottom half. I knew the Yankees would sweep, and I’m thankful they avoided any drama with a nice rally full of singles.

A few notes:
1. Sabathia earned his league-leading 16th victory.
2. A-Rod’s fifth-inning single marked his 2,500th hit of his career.
3. The Yankees gained a game on the Red Sox, extending their AL East lead to 7.5 games. Boston is still leading the wild card.

Line of the Night:
Damon: 4-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2B, BB. It feels like it’s been a long time since a Yankee had four hits. Can anyone tell me who was the last to do it?

Up Next:
The Yankees open up a four-game series at Toronto on Thursday night. Full series preview will be posted before game time, as usual.