Nick Swisher saves the day with a ninth inning home run to give Yankees 3-2 win
The Yankees were able to put an end to their three-game skid by beating the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Wednesday.
It was not a night for much offence with both starting pitchers doing well. Orioles’ starter Brad Bergesen held the potent Yankees line-up to just four hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out five, one out, into the seventh inning. Rookie Ivan Nova held the Orioles to six hits in six innings of work while walking two and striking out six.
Nova retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up a single in the third inning. Half of the hits Nova gave up came in the fifth inning including a two-run home run that gave the Baltimore Orioles the lead 2-1.
The pitching staff took over the remainder of the game, leading up to the ninth inning with both teams combining for three hits from the sixth to the eighth inning. New York got a runner as far as third base in the bottom of the seventh inning but was unable to convert the opportunity into a run.
In the bottom of the ninth inning Nick Swisher hit home run No. 26 on the season that scored Eduardo Nunez and gave the Yankees the win, 3-2. Joba Chamberlain pitched the ninth inning, striking out two, to get his third win on the season.
“I guess it’s my day,” Swisher said. “It’s a monster win for us.”
With the win the Yankees improved to 87-53 on the season, and since Tampa Bay lost increased they increased their lead in the AL East to two and a half games. The win kept the Yankees from getting swept by the Orioles.
The Yankees had to play without Jorge Posada who was suffering from concussion-like symptoms after getting hit with a foul ball Tuesday night. He is not expected to be out for long, but the team is planning on taking every necessary precaution.
“He’s a big part of our ball club and hopefully he’ll be back in the line-up in a couple of days,” Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner said.
New York will take the day off on Thursday before travelling to Texas to take on the Rangers in a three-game series and potential preview of the ALDS. Scheduled to take the mound for the Yankees on Friday is Javier Vasquez; C.J. Wilson is set to do so for the Rangers.
The Yankees hold the lead in the season series between the two 4-1. They also swept the Rangers in the ALDS the last two times the Rangers made the play-offs (1998 and 1999).
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