NOT GETTING IT DONE
The Orioles needed Daniel Cabrera to continue his dominance over the home team at Yankee Stadium and to get deep into the game to rest an exhausted bullpen. He did neither. Cabrera's record now stands at 9-17, putting him ahead of Chicago's Jose Contreras for the most losses in the American League and tying St. Louis' Kip Wells for the major league lead. Only four Orioles pitchers have ever lost more games in a season.
NOT GETTING IT DONE, PART 2
Trying to protect a three-run lead, Yankees rookie starter Phil Hughes was clearly tiring in the sixth. He got two quick outs, then walked Miguel Tejada on four pitches and allowed a double to Kevin Millar. He walked Aubrey Huff to load the bases and then started Melvin Mora off with a ball. That's when Yankees manager Joe Torre summoned right-hander Edwar Ramirez from his bullpen. He threw a first-pitch ball but then came back to strike out Mora with an off-speed pitch that he flailed at.
Quick START
One of the reasons the Orioles have been so successful this season against the Yankees is that they've been able to get off to such good starts. It happened again last night as the Orioles scored twice in the first inning off Hughes. Brian Roberts led off with a double and then moved to third on Tike Redman's single. Nick Markakis then drove in both by hammering Hughes' hanging curveball into the left-center-field gap for a two-run double. It gave Markakis 102 RBIs for the season.
ON DECK
The Orioles will send out right-hander Jon Leicester (2-1, 6.32) for Game 2 of the series against Yankees veteran right-hander Mike Mussina (9-10, 5.28). In the rotation only because of a rash of injuries, Leicester has beaten the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels in his last two outings. He's pitched a total of 10 2/3 innings in those games, allowing four earned runs and 11 hits. Mussina, the former Orioles ace, shut out the Toronto Blue Jays through 5 2/3 in his last start.