Game 5: Yankees 3, Orioles 1
HERO
CC Sabathia pitched like an ace in the most important game of the year for the Yankees. After motoring through the first seven innings — allowing just a single — the lefty found himself in trouble in the eighth, but was nearly as impressive in that inning when he allowed just one run and then finished the game with an easy ninth.
KEY PLAY
Sabathia struck out Nate McLouth with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth on a nasty slider. McLouth had been a thorn in the Yankees’ side throughout the series and with Sabathia faltering in the eighth, McLouth was in position to hurt the Yankees once again. But Sabathia fanned him and then got J.J. Hardy to ground slowly to short, where Derek Jeter made a nifty play.
ZERO
Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who struggled all series, finished it off with another dud. Jones, who said before the series that he would have Baltimore ready to play, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, finishing the series at .087.
SERIES RECAP
Game 1
Yankees 7, Orioles 2
Game 2
Orioles 3, Yankees 2
Game 3
Yankees 3, Orioles 2 (12 inn.)
Game 4
Orioles 2, Yankees 1 (13 inn.)
Game 5
Yankees 3, Orioles 1