The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles remain knotted in a 1-1 tie as Game 4 of the ALDS goes deep into the New York night. Both bullpens have been effective at keeping it even, and the game has moved to the 12th inning.
The Yankees had the best scoring chance late in the game, starting the 8th inning with back-to-back hits up the middle. Ichiro Suzuki took one right through the legs of pitcher Luis Ayala and Mark Teixeira placed a broken-bat liner in center. Robinson Cano sent a bouncing ball to the right side to advance the runners to second and third.
That set the stage for Alex Rodriguez, the maligned Yankee third baseman. With one out, and the Yankees only needing a ball to the outfield to score Ichiro from third, Rodriguez swung through three pitches from Darren O'Day to strike out. Nick Swisher got under one to end the rally and strand the runners. O'Day threw two fastballs by A-Rod to start the at-bat, and then retired him on a nasty slider. An animated gif of the pitch:
Phil Hughes looked shaky in the first third of the game, but he settled in and was strong in his final two innings. Hughes struck out the side in the fifth after giving up a lead-off homer to Nate McLouth, and then went on to retire five straight O's before Joe Girardi made the call for Boone Logan in the seventh. Logan finished off McLouth to end the seventh, and then David Robertson worked a perfect eighth to get it to Rafael Soriano in the ninth. The Yanks closer gave up a single to Jim Thome, but picked off pinch runner Lew Ford to get out of the inning unscathed.
Soriano worked two scoreless innings, but was matched on the other side by O'Day and Pedro Strop. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter has used six pitchers out of the pen so far.
Joe Girardi has used five relievers, and was dealt a blow in the top of the 12th when Matt Wieters sent a broken bat blooper down the left field line. The barrel end went flying out to the mound and caught Joba Chamberlain on the arm, knocking him out of the game.
David Phelps will come on and try to keep the game at 1-1.