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 Johnson capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth with a
walk-off, one-out double that gave the Orioles a 3-2 victory over
the New York Yankees.
Baltimore's magic number dropped to three, as the second-place
Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in the day. The
Orioles (89-60) have a chance to clinch the American League East
title at home during a three-game series with the Jays that starts
Monday.
Johnson helped his latest team take another step toward its first
division title in 17 years. He began the season with the Yankees,
who dealt him to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Stephen Drew on
July 31. The Orioles obtained him and a minor-leaguer from Boston
for infielders Ivan De Jesus and Jemile Weeks on Aug. 30, and
Johnson is getting more playing time now due to first baseman Chris
Davis' suspension.
"It feels like a first-place team," Johnson said. "(I've) bounced
around just a little bit now, and you just kind of get a feel that
it's meant to be. Things find a way to happen; you find a way to win
rather than ways to lose. It's been pretty cool. I haven't been here
long, but I've seen some things I haven't seen before."
The Orioles again staged a ninth-inning rally to knock off the
fading Yankees, who took a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning when
catcher Brian McCann hit a solo homer off right-hander Darren O'Day
(5-1) with one out.
Closer David Robertson (2-5) came on for the Yankees, but the
Orioles rallied right away. Designated hitter Nelson Cruz led off
with a double. Quintin Berry came on to pinch-run, and he scored the
tying run when first baseman Steve Pearce doubled to left.
Johnson then lined a double into the gap in right-center that scored
the winning run.
"He's just had a lot of experience in the American League East, and
there's a lot of things you don't have to wonder about," Orioles
manager Buck Showalter said. "You kind of know what you're getting.
Kelly's a pro."
Robertson was pitching for the third consecutive day but said he
felt fine.
"I pitched like (garbage), left three balls up to three of the best
hitters in the league," the right-hander said. "I just wasn't able
to do it today."
Neither team could generate much offense thanks to strong efforts
from the starting pitchers, New York's Hiroki Kuroda and Baltimore's
Chris Tillman.
Kuroda limited the power-hitting Orioles to one run on six hits in
seven strong innings. Center fielder Adam Jones' RBI double in the
sixth was all Kuroda allowed.
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In the second inning, Tillman gave up a run on three hits, including
third baseman Martin Prado's solo homer, but not much else. He
allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
New York shortstop Derek Jeter played his final game in Baltimore,
and the crowd at Oriole Park gave him a standing ovation in the
eighth inning of a tie game. However, left-hander Andrew Miller
fanned him, one of three strikeouts he recorded in his 1 1/3-inning
stint.
The Yankees (76-72) took a 1-0 lead when Prado went deep to start
the second. Left fielder Alejandro De Aza leaped for it at the fence
but just missed, and Prado had his seventh homer as a Yankee.
Jones' double tied the game in the sixth.
Baltimore is inching closer to the division title, yet the Orioles
still don't talk much about it.
"First off, we've got to handle tomorrow," Jones said. "That's most
important. Handle tomorrow, then assess from there and handle
Tuesday. We've got to take care of our business. Once they say it's
ours, we go accordingly. But until they do, we've got something to
do."
NOTES: The Orioles will win the season series with New York for the
first time in 17 years. They are 11-4 against the Yankees this year.
The teams play four games in the Bronx, Sept. 22-25. ... Manager
Buck Showalter said that suspended 1B Chris Davis will be working
out in Sarasota, Fla., and, if allowed, could play in instructional
league action in the coming days. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi
said C Francisco Cervelli remains day-to-day. Cervelli, who is
dealing with migraine headaches, last played Sept. 2, but he said he
is getting stronger and improving. ... SS Derek Jeter played his
final regular-season game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The
Orioles honored Jeter with a pregame ceremony in which they gave him
gifts that included a check for $10,000 for the Miracle League of
Manasota in his name.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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