Yankees Game 4 Recap

JJ Hardy came up big with a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 13th

Well tonight was the other scenario that could have happened last night. The Orioles win a well-pitched extra inning ball game to even the series at 2-2 and force a Game 5 tomorrow in New York. Girardi's pinch hitting tactics did not pan out tonight, and the Yankees only managed to score 1 run in 13 innings.

With a 2-1 victory for the Orioles in 13 innings, the Ibanez homer means that much more to the Yankees, who should be eliminated right now. If Ibanez doesn't play savior then hero, the Orioles win two one run games and are comfortably sitting in the Championship Series.

Phil Hughes pitched a great ballgame going 6.2 innings and giving up only 1 run on a homer to Nate McLouth in the 5th inning. The run support was simply not there again. The offense is non-exsistent and it is very concerning. The lone run came on an RBI groundout for crying out loud.

On top of all of this, the home run ball is just not in the cards. Sure Ibanez hit two last night and Martin hit one in the 9th in Game 1, but the Yankees are a team built around home runs. If you put together a good performance on the mound and keep the Yanks in the yard, you will win.

This is why as these tense low-hit and low-run games roll on with 1-1 and 2-2 scores, the game actually favors the Orioles. They have been winning all year in these types of games and are built to manufacture a few runs and then hold their opponent.

The good news is that this is not the end and we have CC Sabathia on the bump for us tomorrow. CC will need to be dominant because we know his hitters will not back him up. The proof is in the pudding, the Yanks have only scored 6 runs before the 9th inning in this series. They have more in the 9th and on with 7 runs during that period!

A miracle will not always be there to bail them out. Tomorrow they need to come out and take the game from the Orioles. Put crooked numbers on the board and have CC shut them down. It's plain and simple, if they don't hit tomorrow, their season will end.

One Last Thing: Girardi needs to stop making the moves now. I know I said I would lay off the guy, but come on. You caught lightning in a bottle once by pinch hitting for A-Rod, it was a great call, yet highly unlikely. You don't make the same move the following night like he did in the 13th. Hopefully Girardi can pull the right strings tomorrow, we're going to need it.