Sep 17, 2007, 14:55 GMT
- The New York Yankees try and maintain their AL wild card lead this evening when they begin a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
At first glance New York would seem to be in pretty good shape with their remaining schedule, as it plays these three games with the lowly O's then plays four with Toronto before closing its regular season with three against Tampa Bay and three again against the O's. The Yankees, though, are just 20-21 against those teams.
Baltimore has especially been a thorn in the Yankees' side this season, despite the fact that it enters this series 20 games below .500. The Orioles have won eight of 12 from the Yanks this season, including four of six in the Bronx.
However, New York comes into tonight's tilt on the heels of one of its biggest wins of the season, as Derek Jeter's three-run homer off Curt Schilling in the eighth inning gave the Yankees the lead and his backpedaling catch with the bases loaded ended the game in a 4-3 win over Boston in the final 2007 regular season meeting between the storied AL East rivals.
Robinson Cano also homered for the Yankees, who won eight of the final 10 meetings with the Red Sox this season and pulled within 4 1/2 games of Boston for the lead in the division. New York also remained 2 1/2 games ahead of Detroit for the wild card spot, as the Tigers beat Minnesota, 6-4, earlier Sunday.
Roger Clemens, undefeated in nine career regular season starts as an opponent at Fenway Park, took the hill for the first time since a sore elbow forced him to leave a September 3 game against Seattle. He threw six innings, allowing two hits and an unearned run against his former team as the Yankees won for the ninth time in 11 games.
Joba Chamberlain (2-0) threw two innings for the win, giving up a solo homer to Mike Lowell. Mariano Rivera gave up an RBI double to Julio Lugo with two outs in the ninth and then proceeded to load the bases, but retired David Ortiz on a pop up to Jeter in short center field to pick up his 28th save.
The Yankees will hand the ball to rookie Phil Hughes tonight, as he tries to build upon his first win in more than a month. Hughes defeated the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, giving up two runs (one earned) and three hits in six innings to run his record to 3-3, while lowering his ERA to 4.91.
Hughes, who is winless in five home starts (0-2), received a no-decision against the Orioles earlier in the year and surrendered three runs (two earned) and six hits in five innings.
Baltimore will counter right-hander Daniel Cabrera, who will be trying to avoid becoming the league's first 17-game loser. Cabrera, though, was brilliant against the Yanks the last time he faced them back on August 14, as he scattered two hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings.
That was his last win, though, as he has gone 0-4 since and has lost his last three starts. Against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Wednesday Cabrera was hammered for 10 runs (eight earned) and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings to fall to 9-16 on the year to go along with a 5.37 ERA.
The Orioles enter this series on a rare winning note, having taken two out of three over the weekend from the Toronto Blue Jays, including an 8-6 win in Sunday's finale at Rogers Centre. Tike Redman and Jay Payton each drove in a pair of runs for the Orioles, who have won three of their last four games.
Rob Bell (4-3) notched the victory with two innings of two-hit relief. Fernando Cabrera set down the Blue Jays in order in the bottom of the 12th to earn his first big league save.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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