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Yankees Recap: Yankees (3-5) fall 4-3 to Orioles; Sabathia 7 IP, 4 ER, 7 K’s

By Caleb Gebrewold

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Taking on the Baltimore Orioles in the second of three, the New York Yankees attempted to jump on Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez right from the start.  After getting Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out, Gonzalez got loud out number two off the bat of Chase Headley.  Carlos Beltran just missed hitting one out to right, instead having to settle for a long double, but Mark Teixeira was unable to capitalize on the early RBI opportunity, striking out to end the threat.

CC Sabathia took the mound for the Yankees looking to recover from his tough season debut, in which he gave up four runs over 5 2/3 innings, although he did strike out 8.  Adam Jones, who has been on fire to begin the season, took Sabathia deep with two outs in the first inning, giving the Orioles an early 1-0 lead.

After two quick outs to begin the second, the Yankees once again had a two-out threat, after Chris Young hit an opposite field double.  The Orioles were shifted slightly to left, and Young went the other way with the pitch to continue his strong start to the season.  Stephen Drew was walked, but Didi Gregorius failed to bring them home, as he struck out on seven pitches to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Yankees defensive woes continued, as after a sharp single, they were unable to turn a double play due to nobody covering first base allowing Chris Davis to reach on a fielders’ choice.  Sabathia also committed an error, the Yankees tenth of the season, a few batters later, but was able to escape the jam with no damage, stranding two.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the third, Sabathia fell into trouble again, walking Everth Cabrera on four pitches, before allowing a bloop single to Manny Machado which moved Cabrera to third.  Jones hit a deep fly ball which scored Cabrera without a throw, giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead.  Sabathia rebounded strongly, getting Steve Pearce to ground into an inning ending double play, thus limiting the damage to one run.

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The Yankees were quickly retired in order again in the fourth.  Sabathia once again allowed the leadoff hitter to get on base, as Delmon Young reached on a slow infield single.  Young reached second base on a wild pitch, but CC was able to strike Davis, and Jonathan Schoop out.  Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph singled to right, scoring Young and extending the Orioles lead to 3-0.  Beltran made a strong throw, which is a good sign, but Young was able to beat it.

Once again the Yankees were retired in order, making that 10 straight for Gonzalez.  In the bottom half, Sabathia gave up a leadoff single to Cabrera past a diving Headley, but was able to get a double play from Machado, and a ground out from Jones to end the inning.

Ellsbury led off the sixth with a line drive single past the glove of Orioles second baseman Schoop, who nearly made a nice leaping catch.  Gonzalez rebounded to strike out Headley.  Ellsbury was able to advance on a wild pitch, but Gonzalez recovered to get Beltran to fly out to shallow left field later in the at-bat.  Teixeira, who was 0-11 in his career against Gonzalez, doubled ton a line drive to right field, cutting the deficit to 3-1.  Brian McCann grounded out to end the inning, once again leaving a runner in scoring position, the Yankees third of the night.

The rain began to fall again starting the bottom of the sixth, but Sabathia was able to strike out Pearce.  He forced a slow grounder from Young, but Gregorius couldn’t handle it, committing the Yankees second error of the ball game, and eleventh in eight games this season.  Sabathia was able to strike out Davis, and get Schoop to hit into an inning ending force play.

Gonzalez struck out the side in the top of the seventh, ending his night with ten strikeouts, and only one walk.  Gonzalez only allowed just four hits, and one run over seven innings, throwing 108 pitches.

Joseph led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple, on which Ellsbury almost made an amazing catch.  Trailing two runs late in the game, with no outs in the inning, Ellsbury probably shouldn’t have dove for the ball, and held Joseph to a double.

CC, on for his seventh inning of work, struck out Alejandro De Aza to get the first out.  Cabrera was able to put the ball in the air, and Ellsbury’s throw was off the line, allowing Joseph to score, pushing the lead to 4-1.  Machado grounded out, ending the inning.

Sabathia’s night was also done after seven innings.  He allowed four runs, all earned, on seven hits, and one home run.  He struck out seven, and only walked one, on 91 pitches.  Sabathia pitched better than his final line, as two of the Orioles runs likely could have been avoided.

Kevin Gausman came in for the eighth inning, and Didi Gregorius led off with a bloop single over the head of third baseman Manny Machado.  Gregorius likely could have stretched it to a double, but after several early season baserunning miscues, he didn’t attempt to do so.  Ellsbury followed with a deep fly out to left, that De Aza made a splendid running catch on what could have been an extra base hit.

Headley followed with a single to right field, that advanced Gregorius to third base, bringing up the middle of the lineup with only one out.  Beltran was robbed of a single by Schoop, who made a diving stop and threw Beltran out, though Gregorius did score, and Headley advanced to second base.

Teixeira hit a fly ball to deep left that De Aza ran down, but was unable to catch it, scoring Headley on the error, cutting the lead to 4-3.  Gausman was hit hard, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits, over just 2/3 of an inning.  If not for solid defensive plays from De Aza and Schoop, his line could have been a lot worst.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter once again went to his bullpen with left-handed hitting Brian McCann coming to the plate, and Teixeira at second base, bringing on closer Zach Britton.  McCann, who was 3-6 in his career versus Britton, grounded out to second baseman Schoop playing deep right field, stranding Teixeira and ending the inning.

Chris Martin took over for Sabathia in the bottom of the eighth, striking out Jones and Pearce, and getting Young to ground out, ending the inning.  It was the Yankees first 1-2-3 inning of the night.

Gregorio Petit pinch-hit for Garrett Jones to lead off the ninth, grounding out to Machado on a slow roller.  Young slowly grounded out to Britton, barely being thrown out.  Alex Rodriguez pinch-hit for Drew with the Yankees down to their final out.  Rodriguez grounded out to Cabrera at short, ending the game, and sending the Yankees record to 3-5.

Something that was key in this game was the Yankees inability to reach base from the third through the fifth innings, while Sabathia allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in every inning from the second through the fifth.  The Yankees were also 1-8 with RISP, stranding five runners.  The defensive woes of the Yankees continued with two more errors.

This was a winnable game, and the Yankees need to do a better job of winning the close ones in what will be a tightly contested AL East.

Injury Update: Brett Gardner, who left Monday’s game after being hit on the wrist, was available off the bench, but only in a pinch running or defensive role.  It is unlikely he will start before Friday’s game versus the Tampa Bay Rays.  Ivan Nova threw 20 pitches of batting practice in Tampa, and will again on Friday, as he works back from Tommy John surgery.

Up Next: The Yankees (3-5) will take on the Orioles (4-4) in the rubber match of a three game set.  This will the third of 19 games between the two clubs this season.

Next: Yankees News: Barry Bonds says Yankees Should Honor Alex Rodriguez for #660

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