Cano's homer lifts Yankees to win, sweep of Orioles

Baseball Betting Lines

08/24/2008 - Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robinson Cano went 4-for-5, and hit the go- ahead homer in the seventh inning as the New York Yankees edged the Baltimore Orioles, 8-7, to complete a three-game sweep at Camden Yards.

Johnny Damon had a three-run homer for the Yankees, who have won four of their last five contests. Xavier Nady knocked in a pair and Jason Giambi had a sacrifice fly. Mariano Rivera earned a four-out save, his 31st of the season.

"We had some big hits and that's all we can ask for," Damon said. "It seems like we had contributions from everybody this series."

The win moved New York to 9 1/2 games back of division-leading Tampa Bay, as the Rays fell to the White Sox on Sunday. The Yankees remained five games back of the Red Sox, who beat the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Starter Darrell Rasner did not factor into the decision as he was touched for five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. Edwar Ramirez (4-1) got the win with his 1 1/3 innings of relief, in which he gave up a run on two hits.

"From pitch one it was a struggle," Rasner said. "I was really concentrating on keeping the ball down, but I wasn't able to do that. I made that my whole effort to get the ball down. Bottom line was I threw too many pitches. I guess I never recovered from that. The bullpen picked up a lot of slack for me today."

Ramon Hernandez had a pinch-hit single to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games for the O's, who have dropped six of their last eight. Brian Roberts went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer to stretch his hit streak to 10 games. Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff both hit solo homers in defeat.

Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera left after just 3 2/3 innings after he yielded seven runs on nine hits and three walks.

The Yankees jumped on top for good in the seventh inning as Cano broke the 7-7 tie with a 425-foot solo homer off Jamie Walker (1-2) to center field.

Rivera was brought in with two gone in the eighth and recorded the first three outs with ease. Rivera, though, walked Roberts on four pitches with two outs in the ninth. Roberts then stole second and moved to third as Ivan Rodriguez's throw to second went into the outfield. Nick Markakis, though, was caught looking at the third strike to end the threat and the game.

With two gone in the home first, Mora and Huff smacked back-to-back homers off Rasner.

NY rallied to grab the lead in the second. Nady led off with a single and Hideki Matsui walked before Cano slugged an RBI double down the line in right. Ivan Rodriguez then lined out, but Damon hit a line drive to right that cleared the wall for a three-run shot to put the Yankees ahead 4-2.

The Yankees added what looked to be plenty of insurance in the fourth frame. The bases were loaded with one out as Damon and Bobby Abreu hit singles and Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch. Giambi then ripped a sac fly to center and Nady clubbed a two-run double to left that made it 7-2.

But the Orioles rallied to even the game. With one gone in the fourth, Roberts reached as Derek Jeter had trouble fielding a grounder and Markakis dropped a single in front of Nady, which caromed to the wall to score Roberts and advance Markakis to second. Mora then walked and David Robertson was summoned from the bullpen.

Huff greeted Robertson with an RBI double and Kevin Millar offered a sac fly to make it a 7-5 ballgame.

In the fifth, Jay Payton opened the frame with a single, stole second and held at third as Guillermo Quiroz grounded out. Juan Castro went down swinging and Ramirez was called on in relief. Roberts promptly hit a two-run homer to right-center, and it was 7-7.

Game Notes

Yankees' starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain threw 35 fastballs and changeups, 20 out of the stretch and 15 from the windup on Saturday. The young flame- thrower reported no pain after the session and took Sunday off but will resume throwing between 40 and 50 pitches on Monday. Chamberlain was placed on the disabled list on August 6 with a stiff right shoulder...Baltimore left 13 runners on base to NY's 11...Time of game was 4:01.