|
Chen wins on playoff debut for
Orioles
BATTERS BAFFLED: The left-hander surrendered two
runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out three New York Yankees in
6-1/3 innings of work
AFP, BALTIMORE, Maryland
Taiwan¡¦s Chen Wei-yin of the
Baltimore Orioles pitches against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of their
American League Division Series match in Baltimore, Maryland, on Monday.
Photo: Reuters
Taiwanese pitcher Chen Wei-yin (³¯°¶®ï)
baffled New York¡¦s powerful batters on Monday, sparking the Baltimore Orioles
over the Yankees 3-2 to level their Major League Baseball playoff series.
Deadlocked 1-1 in the best-of-five American League Division Series, the Orioles
and Yankees move to New York for today and tomorrow, and a fifth if necessary on
Friday.
Either the Yankees or the Orioles will advance to face Detroit or Oakland in the
best-of-seven American League Championship Series to decide a berth in the World
Series final.
Chen, who joined the Orioles this year after seven seasons in Japan with the
Chunichi Dragons, won his North American playoff debut by outdueling New York¡¦s
Andy Pettitte, the pitcher with the most wins in Major League Baseball playoff
history.
The 27-year-old left-hander surrendered two runs on eight hits and a walk, while
striking out three Yankee batters in 6-1/3 innings.
The Taiwanese ace tossed 77 of his 112 pitches for strikes and staked Baltimore
a 3-2 lead after seven innings, a crucial accomplishment since the Orioles went
74-0 in the regular season when leading after seven innings.
¡§As long as I can help my team win, it means the same for me whether I win
during the regular season or the post-season,¡¨ Chen said through a translator.
¡§Today, I just tried to keep the ball low and let the fielders take care of the
rest ... [the victory] was not just a result of my own work, other teammates
helped too. It¡¦s our teamwork, and I felt we just would win today.¡¨
The Orioles, who had not won a playoff game since 1997, went 29-9 in one-run
decisions this season and showed poise under pressure in beating the Yankees,
who edged them in the season¡¦s last two days for the American League Eastern
Division crown.
¡§It has been an impressive situation,¡¨ Baltimore outfielder Chris Davis said.
¡§It has taught us how to deal with the highs and the lows, to not get too down
in the lows and ride out the highs. You definitely don¡¦t want to go into New
York down two games.¡¨
Orioles closing relief pitcher Jim Johnson, who lead the major leagues with 51
saves this season, had been tagged by the Yankees for five runs a night earlier
in a 7-2 New York triumph to open the series.
This time, Johnson shut down the top of the Yankee batting order to complete the
victory, inducing infield groundouts from Derek Jeter and Japanese star Ichiro
Suzuki, while striking out Alex Rodriguez.
New York starter Pettitte, a 40-year-old southpaw seeking his 20th playoff
triumph in his 40th post-season start for the Yankees, allowed three runs on
seven hits and a walk, while striking out five over seven innings.
New York took the lead in the first inning when Suzuki reached first on a
fielding error by Baltimore¡¦s Mark Reynolds and raced home on a double to
right-field by Robinson Cano.
Baltimore answered in the third when a bases-loaded single by Davis drove in two
runs and gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead.
The Yankees loaded the bases in the fourth inning, but Chen induced a pop flyout
and a groundout to end the threat.
The Orioles stretched their edge to 3-1 in the sixth when Matt Wieters snapped
an 0-for-10 playoff hit drought with a leadoff double and scored on a Reynolds
single to right-field.
The Yankees responded in the seventh when Eduardo Nunez led off with a double
and scored on a Jeter single to left-field, but New York stranded two base
runners in scoring position in the inning and still trailed 3-2.
Additional reporting by staff writer, with CNA
|
