The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees won their games very well last night: with walk-off RBIs by well-known players. Starting in the Bronx, the Baltimore Orioles take a 5-0 lead off Phil Hughes, who has been hit very hard so far this season. He leaves after 4.1, giving up five runs and now a total of 16 earned in just 10 and 1/3 innings. Jake Arrieta's no-hitter is lost in the 5th inning when Alex Rodriguez doubles and is driven in by Robinson Cano, but the O's hold a 5-4 lead into the ninth, when Jorge Posada gives Kevin Gregg a blown save on his first pitch with a monster shot to deep right field. They were able to tie thanks to Joba Chamberlain, who rushed home and grabbed a throw to him on a wild pitch and blocked the plate perfectly for the out. Finally, in the tenth inning, Nick Swisher lifted a fly to right-center with runners on at second and third, and the third-base runner scored for the win. As he was talking to reporters, he was pied in the face by clubhouse jokester A.J. Burnett, Swisher's first pie of the season.
The game was slightly more dramatic in Tampa Bay, where Carl Pavano hurled 8 scoreless innings while his Twins staked him to a 2-0 lead. Joe Nathan came back this season to seal the deal, but was touched up for a pair to tie the game. However, the Twins wanted this game, and Danny Valencia lifted an RBI double to bring them ahead once again. Unfortunately, Matt Capps, who had about 9 saves at this time last year, came in. He gave up a single to New Hampshire native Sam Fuld, then Johnny Damon, old Red Sox friend, nailed a shot into the shallow right-field seats to seal the win. Wow. Two blown saves in one game for Minnesota. How must Pavano feel?
Trivia
Damon also hit a big homer in the Tampa Bay-Red Sox series.
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