The Yankees and Orioles needed extra innings for the second night in a row, but the result unfortunately ended in Baltimore's favor as Vidal Nuno gave up a walk-off home run to Nate McLouth with no outs in the tenth inning. Phil Hughes rebounded from his disastrous start against the Mariners to pitch six innings of two-run ball. Unfortunately, those two runs came via home runs from Chris Dickerson, who entered tonight's game with twelve to his name in his career to this point. Home runs and Hughes go together like whatever the stuff was in that annoying Chevrolet commercial jingle that if you ever heard again, it would be too soon. Watching Hughes pitch is as annoying as that commercial on repeat.
The Yankee offense scored first, which had been a promising sign for them in 2013. That streak of winning when scoring first now comes to an end at nineteen games. It's frustrating to lose a game late with your best reliever hanging out in the bullpen, but you'll never convince baseball managers of that. What if there's a save situation later, they say. You may never even get there, I say. They didn't tonight.
Boone Logan, Shawn Kelley, David Robertson, and Preston Claiborne all held serve in relief of Hughes. If there is something to feel good about in this game, it's that Robertson struck out the side, adding $300 dollars to his pledge of $100 per strikeout this season for High Socks for Hope going toward relief efforts in Moore, Oklahoma after the devastating tornado there yesterday. He has 26 so far on the year.
Driving in both runs, Travis Hafner tried to do it all for the Yankees once again with two RBI singles. The only other Yankees to pick up hits were doubles from Brett Gardner and Vernon Wells, and a single by David Adams, who continues to impress at the plate and in the field.
Fortunately for the Yankees, they turn to their co-ace in Hiroki Kuroda tomorrow evening against Jason Hammel. Kuroda has been brilliant all season, which should make for a more enjoyable watching experience after having to see Hughes serve up meatball after meatball to a light hitter on a skidding team. At least there's that.
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