Ryan Flaherty and O’s Eliminate Yanks with Win over Jays
Sep 12, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles teammates Ryan Flaherty (3) and Alejandro De Aza (12) celebrate after game two of doubleheader against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Yankees 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Davis’ power replacement Ryan Flaherty dropped a two-run bomb onto Eutaw Street on Monday night to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Blue Jays. Coupled with a ninth-inning walk-off loss of the Yankees to the Rays 1-0 on a Ben Zobrist single, New York is eliminated.
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The New York Yankees are in third place and eliminated.
An Orioles win drops the Yankees out of contention.
The Bronx Bombers are eradicated from contention in the AL East.
The New York Yankees cannot win the divisional championship.
The Baltimore Orioles have completely defeated the New York Yankees and dropped them out of the 2014 picture.
Sorry, it is just too much fun to keep writing that.
On top of it, the win over the Blue Jays clinches a tie with Toronto and sets up a possibility of the Orioles being the first divisional champion in baseball in 2014.
Staff writer Richard Smith had some fun with me yesterday by putting together an article with the title of Ryan Flaherty as O’s MVP for the season. It did give me an “OMG moment” at first glance! Yes, I’ve been a bit critical of the utility player. But if Flaherty wants to do this every night … OK … every other night … that is fine with me and I’ll take up my pen and platform to call him “blessed.”
As we’ve written here a total of 90 times this year, “It was a good win for the Orioles.” The game was closer than it sounds, as the Jays out-hit the O’s 11-10. The first three Toronto batters in the game reached base and Danny Valencia just missed the foul pole that would have put them ahead 4-0 before even an out was registered. And a diving catch was made by “has-to-be-gold-glover” Nick Markakis to get Wei-Yin Chen out of the first inning with only a run surrendered.
Some cheesy Orioles hits and a passed ball helped the O’s to their first three runs, before Ryan Flaherty’s two-run big fly in the fourth inning.
The win moves Chen to 16-4 on the season. He has had a good year, yet has enjoyed a great amount of offensive support from the Orioles as well. But like all O’s starters, he has learned to minimize the damage and make the most of whatever “stuff” he carries to the hill that evening.
WARNING: Massive Irony Just Ahead
So, on Tuesday evening the Orioles can clinch their first AL East title since 1997. And who will have the opportunity on the mound to be the clinching pitcher? Yes, Ubaldo Jimenez… remember him?
The $50-million guy, who has pitched like a .50-cent fellow, will get his first start since … well … since (be right back, gonna look it up) … since August 16th in Cleveland where he gave up six runs in 4.1 innings in a 6-0 loss. He has only pitched 4.1 innings since then and 14.2 innings since July 5th. He is yet to throw a pitch in the month of September.
If 4-9 Ubaldo Jimenez with his 4.96 ERA comes on to be the clinching and winning pitcher, well, that would be proof positive that the Orioles are charmed this season. Believing that to be true, I’m calling it here … Jimenez with a complete game four-hit shutout for the AL East title.