Yankees Cruise Into Subway Series Off Blowout Of O's
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The New York Yankees made it easy for CC Sabathia to cruise to another win over the Baltimore Orioles.
After the Yankees took control with a five-run first, Sabathia scattered seven hits over eight shutout innings in a 13-2 victory Thursday night.
In Sabathia's earlier outing against Baltimore this year, New York scored 15 runs. In this one, the Yankees gave him a five-run cushion before he threw his first pitch.
"It calms you down a little bit," Sabathia said. "I'll take it every time. I try to do my part, and these guys swing the bat. We've got a great lineup. It's happening all year."
Mark Teixeira and Eduardo Nunez homered for the Yankees, whose 14 hits included three doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs.
Nick Swisher doubled in three runs in the first inning and added an RBI single in the fifth. Jorge Posada, starting at first base for the first time since 2008, walked twice and had a run-scoring double.
New York completed a two-game sweep and improved to 6-0 against Baltimore. The Yankees have matched a season high with three straight wins after a six-game skid.
Sabathia (4-3) struck out nine, walked none and permitted only two runners to reach third base. The left-hander is 2-0 against the Orioles this season, 16-2 lifetime and 10-1 at Camden Yards.
"We got the quick five runs," manager Joe Girardi noted. "We needed to give the bullpen the night off -- and that's what CC did for us."
Amaury Sanit gave up two runs in the ninth.
Brad Bergesen (1-5) allowed eight runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings for the Orioles. He's 0-4 with a 9.25 ERA in five career starts against New York.
"He was missing in the places he was trying to go with his fastball," manager Buck Showalter said. "Didn't give himself a chance to have much to defend himself with."
Bergesen didn't offer a defense for himself when asked about New York's five-run first.
"It was everything tonight. Just all around, just bad," he said. "Putting us in a 5-0 hole just made it real tough for us tonight. Just nothing good for me tonight, whatsoever."
After Derek Jeter led off with a double and scored on a triple by Curtis Granderson, Teixeira hit a run-scoring groundout. Two outs later, Bergesen hit Robinson Cano with a pitch above the knee, and Cano wore a look of disgust as he walked to first base.
It was the second time in two innings that a Baltimore pitcher plunked a Yankees batter. In the 15th inning Wednesday night, Chris Dickerson was struck in the head by a fastball from Mike Gonzalez.
After hitting Cano, Bergesen issued two straight walks before Swisher cleared the bases with a liner that left fielder Felix Pie got a glove on but couldn't hold.
In the bottom half, Sabathia got two quick outs before hitting Nick Markakis in the back with a pitch. Home plate umpire Larry Vanover promptly warned both sides that the next pitcher to throw at a batter would be ejected.
Vladimir Guerrero followed with a single to put runners on the corners, but Sabathia got Adam Jones to hit into a fielder's choice.
New York used a four-run fourth to make it 9-0. Swisher walked before Brett Gardner and Jeter hit successive triples to chase Bergesen. One out later, Teixeira hit a towering two-run homer off Chris Jakubauskas.
Nunez homered for the first time this season in the ninth with a man on against Troy Patton.
Game notes The start of the game was delayed by rain for 48 minutes. ... Dickerson was rested Thursday but hoped to play Friday against the Mets. He had a headache and said a CT scan revealed a concussion. ... Jakubauskas and Patton were recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game. The moves coincided with Derrek Lee (oblique) and Brian Roberts (concussion) being placed on the disabled list. After the game, the Orioles optioned Jakubauskas back to Norfolk. ... Cano has an 18-game hitting streak against Baltimore.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
