Just when you think the Yankees are dead, a man named Raul Ibanez comes to the plate. The man who has saved the Yankees season time and time again came to the plate in a crucial spot. He was batting in place of a man who may have cost the Yankees a few wins along the way. Raul Ibanez is the man, and he is the most clutch player the Yankees have had in years. This is the second time in a week that Ibanez saved the Yankees season. Tonight, he got greedy and got both of the big hits of the game; A game-tying solo shot off Jim Johnson in the ninth inning and a walk-off solo blast off lefty Brian Matusz in the twelfth inning. The script could not have been written any better and the Yankees should be on their hands and knees, bowing down to the king of big moments for the 2012 Yankees.
Kuroda made that walk-off possible by delivering eight plus innings of two run baseball to an Orioles team that was ready to call it a night up two games to the Yankees one game. Raul Ibanez had other plans tonight as the Yankees go up 2-1 in the series and look to advance to the American League Championship Series with a win tomorrow night. Some of the pressure is taken off Phil Hughes tomorrow as he is pitching in a game four with the Yankees having the series lead. The Yankees are now playing to advance and the Orioles will be playing to keep their season alive. Still, the Yankees have to go out and win tomorrow night to keep this from going to a fifth game after the momentum shift in the Yankees direction tonight.
Joe Saunders will make the start for Baltimore tomorrow night. Saunders has been great for the Orioles and performed well in Baltimore's one game playoff against the Texas Rangers last Friday. The Yankees have a long road ahead of them but they can put tonight behind them knowing they hold the upper hand.
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