Yanks Destroy Orioles in Twin-Killing

Bartolo Colon got plenty of run support in yesterday’s first game, as the Yanks cruised to an 8-3 win. The bottom of the order carried the day, with the #5-9 hitters going a combined 10-19 with 6 runs and 6 RBI. Swish was 3-4 with his 13th homer, while Chris Dickerson, Francisco Cervelli, and Eric Chavez each had 2 hits and an RBI.Colon was decent but, unlike most of his starts this year, inefficient in needing 105 pitches just to get through 5 innings. Cory Wade did yeoman’s work for three innings before Boone Logan mopped up the ninth.

That was nothing compared to what transpired in the second, with the Yanks setting a franchise record by scoring a whopping 12 runs in the first on their way to a 17-3 blowout.  Robinson Cano went 5-5 with 5 RBI in the second game, Swish continued his torrid streak by going 3-6 with his 14th homer, Grandy was 3-6 with 3 runs, Jones homered, and every started had at least a hit and a run. What impressed me most was that the Yankees did most of their damage, in the first and in general, without relying on the home run ball. Swish homered, but otherwise the Yankees strung together their record-setting first inning with hard hit after hard hit, making the inning incredibly long and, for the O’s, painful to endure–40 minutes and an incredible 70 pitches to complete the half-inning. The game was effectively over then, all the more so after the Yankees added 3 more in the second, and a single in the third on Jones’s homer. Nova was good, allowing just 2 runs and six hits to go 9-4, with an ERA just over 4. The guy deserves a spot in the majors, but with the Yanks’ commitment to Hughes, and with Garcia and Colon pitching so well, he is the odd man out right now. Girardi toyed with the idea of a short-term six-man rotation, but I don’t expect that to last long at all should they implement it in the first place. Rafael Soriano returned with a 1-2-3 9th with 2 K’s and, although his velocity was not what it normally is, this should come back the more work he gets.

Not to be lost in the fireworks, the Yankees kept pace with Boston by remaining 2 back in the loss column, and staying 7 games ahead of the Angels in the Wild Card race.  Garcia (9-7, 3.23 ERA) takes the bump at 1:05 ET., after which the Yanks hit the road starting with a series in Chicago.