Bronx, N.Y., April 12, 2013 — It hardly seemed momentous when Nick Markakis bounced back to the box on an 0-2 count and CC Sabathia threw to first for the initial out of a 5-2 Yankees victory over visiting Baltimore Friday night. Forefront in most minds was that it was freezing, but by the time the game ended almost three hours later we had witnessed a nine-ground-out defense where just two grounders would be hit to a non-pitching infielder, and one of those was an e-5 charged to Kevin Youkilis that would lead to the visitors scoring a late tying run.

That run in the top of the seventh that evened the score at 2-2 was also aided by a phantom balk call from first base ump Larry Vanover, so we’re not talking a pristine example of the great old game, a fact further supported by the fact that the winning runs subsequently scored on a 400-foot, bases-loaded, Vernon Wells, two-out shot to dead center that Orioles center fielder Adam Jones reached, only to drop, as the three deciding runs scored.

Both Sabathia and Baltimore starter Miguel Gonzalez were sharp, though how much the frigid temps and brrr!-causing breezes contributed to that is hard to say. Both hurlers featured fastballs, none of which exceeded 91 mph. The Orioles broke out on top when light-hitting second baseman Alexi Casilla snuck a first-pitch double inside the third-base bag leading off the top of the third. A strike out later Manny Machado’s other-way single scored him, but then CC took control with a low-pitch-count/high-strike-out approach.

The swinging strike out of Matt Wieters leading off the fourth was the first of five straight. But not only was CC retiring them in bunches when they swung and missed, but when they hit it too: He started 1-4-3 double plays to close out both the third and sixth innings. And his off-target throw in the decisive seventh initiated a 1-4-3 that retired just the runner at first.

The ease retiring batters at low cost was significant in comparison to Gonzalez, who, although he was effective, got himself into trouble with 19- and 27-pitch innings in the second and the third, with the latter resulting in the Bombers tying the score 1-1. A Youkilis baserunning blunder denied the Yanks the lead, but there will be no nitpicking on that score: red hot, Kevin went 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and an rbi. Solid Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli at bats keyed the offense. Brett scored the first run following his second walk, and he sacrificed Cisco on first-pitch bunts after the Yankee catcher worked walks leading off the home fifth and seventh.

The latter walk, on his 101st pitch, drove Gonzalez from the game. Lefty Troy Patton retired Robinson Cano, on a two-hit night with a key rbi in the fifth, as Cervelli moved to third, but after intentionally walking Youkilis, Patton hit Travis Hafner with a 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Hard-throwing righty Pedro Strop came in to face Vernon Wells, who followed well-hit flies to right, center, and left with his longest shot of the night, the ball to the warning track in dead center that Jones ran down, only to drop as three runs scored. Because Gonzalez’s fifth walk (to Cervelli) began the frame, the loss became his.

So CC, on a dominant night, came on to pitch the eighth, with the game seemingly in hand. Sabathia’s 73/28 strikes/balls ratio was more than solid, but it pales in comparison to the 9/0 strike outs/walks count, or even that he threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of 27 batter through seven innings. That he started two double plays and recorded two more assists rounds out a terrific night.

But that night was not over, and the stubborn Casilla started the top of the eighth with an infield single, then moved to second on Nick Markakis’s one-base hit to left. CC started Machado off with a ball, then went up 1-2, but battled him to a full count through six pitches. The seventh pitch was well struck, but right at Cano on one hop. Whether or not Nix had the same idea I can’t say, but there is no question that Robbie accompanied his flip to second with a winking signal to throw to third. Back and forth throws between Jayson and Kevin resulted in Youk tagging Casilla for out No. 2. As he wheeled and threw to first, Markakis busted it toward second, but Overbay’s toss to Cano at second was in plenty of time to complete the unconventional triple killing.

Yes, there is certainly nothing “conventional” about a 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play, the first time in major league baseball history that three outs were recorded on one play in that manner. What was conventional about it though, on this Yankee team? It began and ended with Cano.

BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!