Yanks mull Matsui pinstripe sendoff

PARADISE VALLEY, Arizona — The New York Yankees are considering signing Matsui to a one-day contract so he can retire as a member of the organization, team co-owner Hal Steinbrenner said Thursday.

Hailing the 38-year-old Matsui, who retired last month after 20 years of baseball on either side of the Pacific, as one of the all-time Yankee greats, Steinbrenner also said the Japanese slugger could throw out the first pitch as a token of appreciation for his seven seasons of service with the Yankees.

Matsui played for the Yankees from 2003 to 2009, helping the team win the World Series in his last year as the Series MVP.

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Ichiro delivers key hit as Yanks make ALCS

NEW YORK — Yankees-Orioles. Playoffs. Disputed home run to right field. Yankees win.

Sound familiar?

CC Sabathia and his New York teammates saw Nate McLouth's long drive called foul by the slimmest of margins — hello, Jeffrey Maier — and then hung on to beat Baltimore 3-1 Friday in the deciding Game 5 of the AL Division Series.

With Alex Rodriguez benched, the Yankees advanced to the AL Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, starting Saturday night in the Bronx.

"It is still a long way to go," Sabathia said. "I still got hopefully three or four more starts. So the job is not done yet."

Sabathia pitched a four-hitter, wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. It was his first complete game in 17 postseason starts, and the first for the Yankees since Roger Clemens did it in 2000.

Yet it was another piece of history that this game evoked.

The Orioles were in a foul mood, stung on a close play in right that echoed what happened across the street at the old Yankee Stadium in the 1996 ALCS opener, on a fly ball that still stirs emotions in Baltimore.

This time, with the Orioles trailing 1-0 in the sixth, McLouth sent a 3-1 pitch deep down the right-field line. Eyes turned to right field umpire Fieldin Culbreth, who demonstrably waved foul with both arms.

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter came out to ask for a video review, and most of the umpiring crew went down a tunnel to examine the images. When they ran back onto the field about two minutes later, they didn't make any signal — meaning the original call stood. McLouth struck out on the next pitch, ending the inning.

"I saw it go to the right of the pole," Culbreth said. "There is netting there and it didn't touch the netting. It did not change direction," he added, indicating he did not think the ball grazed the pole.

Added crew chief Brian Gorman: "We saw the same thing on the replay. There was no evidence to overturn the decision."

Showalter?

Not sure.

"I couldn't tell. It was real close," he said.

Back in 1996, the 12-year-old Maier reached over the wall above right fielder Tony Tarasco and deflected Derek Jeter's fly ball. Umpire Richie Garcia called it a home run, which tied the score 4-4 in the eighth inning, and the Yankees went on to win in the 11th.

Sabathia defeated the Orioles for the second time in six days, Raul Ibanez hit a go-ahead single in the fifth off Jason Hammel and Ichiro Suzuki added an RBI double in the sixth in a 1-for-3 outing.

"I thought this would be a tiring series, but I didn't think that we were finished," said Ichiro. "Teams that give you trouble during the regular season give you trouble until the end. But in the end, we could close it out like this. The Orioles are really an incredible team."

Curtis Granderson boosted the lead to 3-0 with a second-deck solo homer against Troy Patton in the seventh, and the Yankees advanced following their decision to bench the slumping Rodriguez, their $275 million third baseman.

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Orioles beat Yanks in 13th, even series

NEW YORK — First flying bugs, now a flying bat.

When it comes to the postseason, Joba Chamberlain is jinxed.

The Yankees hope their season isn't, too.

Chamberlain was knocked out of Game 4 of the AL Division Series on Thursday night when the barrel of Matt Wieters' broken bat hit him on the right elbow in the 12th inning. The Baltimore Orioles went on to a 2-1 victory that forced a decisive Game 5 on Friday night, getting the go-ahead run when Manny Machado doubled against David Phelps leading off the 13th and scored on J.J. Hardy's RBI double.

"I don't know if I would hang out with me very much. I might need a bubble," Chamberlain said.

He might not be the only one.

On another Bronx night filled with controversy, Alex Rodriguez was pinch hit for once again. Eric Chavez batted in place of slumping A-Rod and ended the game with a lineout to third off Jim Johnson.

"I just do what I'm told," Chavez said. "It's kind of crazy."

Now it's up to CC Sabathia to show he's an ace, taking the mound Friday night against Jason Hammel in a rematch of Game 1 starters.

"It's time to go," Sabathia said. "This is a one-game playoff, and this is what we play for. We're here in the Bronx at home, and like I said, I'll be excited and ready to go."

New York outlasted Baltimore for the AL East title last week. Now the Yankees will try to do it again and advance to the AL Championship Series against Detroit.

"It's the same game whether it's the first game of the season or the postseason," said Derek Jeter, who shifted to designated hitter because of a sore left foot. "We're going to try to have fun with it, enjoy it."

New York had runners on base in each of the first eight innings, but the Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and dropped to 6-for-28 (.214) in the series.

A-Rod, 2-for-16 (.125) with no RBIs and nine strikeouts, fanned against side-arming right-hander Darren O'Day with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth. Nick Swisher then flied out.

"It's obviously frustrating," Rodriguez said. "That was a situation that I could do some damage, and just couldn't get it done tonight."

He's not the only slumping star. Curtis Granderson is 1-for-16 (.125) with nine Ks. Robinson Cano is 2-for-18 (.111) and hitless in his last 11 at-bats. Russell Martin is batting .214, Ichiro Suzuki .200 and Swisher .133.

"There's really good pitching," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "There's guys on the other side that are struggling, too. You're seeing some really good pitching in these four games."

Girardi won't know until Friday whether his bullpen will include Chamberlain, who has had enough mound misfortunes to fill a horror film.

Sabathia held off the Orioles in winning the opener 7-2, allowing two runs and eight hits in 8? innings.

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Jeter shaken up in Yanks' win

BOSTON — Derek Jeter doesn't even want to miss one inning of the New York Yankees' playoff push.

All tangled up: The Yankees' Alex Rodriguez crashes into Red Sox first baseman James Loney during the ninth inning in Boston on Wednesday. New York won 5-4. AP

The shortstop pulled up lame after lunging for first base on his double-play groundout to end the eighth inning of New York's 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. Manager Joe Girardi had to talk him into coming out of the game, but Jeter said he would be back in the lineup when they try to hold onto first place in the AL East again Thursday.

"It's really not a thing," Jeter told reporters, refusing to confirm any details about the injury. "They just said, 'Put ice on it (and) come back tomorrow.' "

A day after Jacoby Ellsbury's game-ending single dropped New York into a tie with Baltimore atop the division, the Yankees got all their runs on homers to remain there. Curtis Granderson hit two home runs and Robinson Cano also homered.

Ichiro Suzuki was hitless in three at-bats for New York.

Jeter had two hits to raise his batting average to .325, which is third in the AL. With one out and runners on first and third in the eighth, he hit a grounder to second base and ran down the first-base line to try to beat the relay throw from the shortstop.

Stretching for the base — too late to beat the throw — Jeter began limping on his left leg as he continued down the first-base line into right field. Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue rushed out to help him and Jeter tried to wave them off, but the manager overruled him.

"I said, 'We're going to sit you out," Girardi told reporters, adding that Jeter had aggravated a previous injury. "It's not that serious. It's something we have to be aware of. But hopefully he's OK."

Orioles 3, Rays 2

In Baltimore, Manny Machado led off the ninth inning with a single and scored the winning run on a single by Nate McLouth.

The Orioles started the day tied atop the AL East with the New York Yankees.

Tigers 8, White Sox 6

In Chicago, Max Scherzer pitched six effective innings to earn his career-high 16th win.

Rangers 5, Indians 2

In Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre homered before each left due to injuries.

Royals 10, Twins 5

In Minneapolis, Billy Butler had three hits and three RBIs, and Kansas City's bullpen picked up struggling starter Luke Hochevar.

Mariners 3, Blue Jays 2

In Toronto, Miguel Olivo hit a solo home run and Kevin Millwood won consecutive starts for the first time since May.

Athletics 4, Angels 1

In Anaheim, A.J. Griffin threw eight scoreless innings, becoming the second Oakland pitcher in 85 years to start his major league career with six straight wins, and Yoenis Cespedes homered.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Phillies 3, Marlins 1

In Philadelphia, Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer and Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings.

Nationals 2, Mets 0

In New York, John Lannan tossed 5? shutout innings and Washington lowered its magic number for clinching a playoff berth to six.

Reds 2, Pirates 1

In Cincinnati, Homer Bailey pitched seven solid innings and the Reds came up with just enough offense for a win.

Giants 8, Rockies 3

In Denver, starter Tim Lincecum worked effectively for six innings, Brandon Crawford doubled twice and drove in two runs, and San Francisco beat Colorado.

Padres 3, Cardinals 2

In San Diego, Clayton Richard pitched seven strong innings and rookie Yasmani Grandal singled home the go-ahead run.

Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2

In Phoenix, Justin Upton and Gerardo Parra hit consecutive RBI singles to support Trevor Cahill's seven strong innings.

Brewers 8, Braves 2

In Milwaukee, Rickie Weeks blasted a three-run home run and Travis Ishikawa hit a bases-clearing double in an eight-run fifth.

Norichika Aoki finished 2-for-4 for the Brewers.

Cubs 5, Astros 1

In Houston, Alfonso Soriano finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in two runs, and Travis Wood allowed one run over 7? innings.

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Braves get to Kuroda, end Yanks' win streak

ATLANTA — Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves eventually caught the ball, and the New York Yankees.

Throwing darts: Tigers ace Justin Verlander pitches against the Cardinals on Tuesday in Detroit. The Tigers won 6-3. AP

Jones atoned for a costly error by cutting down the potential tying run at the plate and the Braves held on to end the Yankees' 10-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory Tuesday night.

"Sometimes you're going to whiff on some balls," the All-Star third baseman said. "But you've got to have a hockey goalie mentality down there. You've got to flush it or you're going to get the next one down your throat."

The Yankees were trying to match their longest winning string in nearly a half-century. Instead, the Braves threw out two runners at home and won for only the second time in nine games — their skid included four losses to New York.

"They pitched really well and had some really good defense. That's kind of what we've been doing," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Jason Heyward singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning off Hiroki Kuroda. Heyward also tripled and scored, and nailed Mark Teixeira at home with a strong throw from right field.

"We wouldn't have gotten there if it wasn't for Jason Heyward," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Kuroda (6-7) allowed all four runs on six hits and three walks. Against the Braves, whom he beat just six days ago, the right-hander had a career ERA of 2.23 along with six wins in as many games.

Kuroda was not happy with the way his night ended.

"It's not the greatest feeling in the world," said Kuroda, who struck out six. "It wouldn't have hurt to have won. I just have to forget about this and move on.

"I worried too much when I put runners on base. I wasn't aggressive enough trying to protect a one-run lead and ended up allowing two."

Atlanta rookie Andrelton Simmons drove in two runs and Jones delivered an RBI double for the slumping Braves.

The Yankees' recent run was built entirely against NL teams. Only once since 1965 had the Yankees won 11 in a row, and that was in 1985. The team's record winning streak of 19 was set in 1947.

Red Sox 7, Marlins 5

In Boston, David Ortiz hit his 17th homer and Clay Buchholz won his fourth straight start as the Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games.

Mets 5, Orioles 0

In New York, Johan Santana pitched six sharp innings, Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer, and the Mets earned their second straight shutout of Baltimore.

Pirates 7, Twins 2

In Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including his 12th homer of the season, and Kevin Correia ended a lengthy winless streak at home.

Rays 5, Nationals 4

In Washington, Carlos Pena hit a two-run homer and David Price bounced back from his worst start of the season to pitch seven strong innings, leading Tampa Bay to a victory over the Nationals.

Hideki Matsui was 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance for the Rays.

Indians 3, Reds 2 (10)

In Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th inning off hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman to give the Indians a win.

Royals 2, Astros 0

In Houston, Luke Hochevar pitched into the eighth inning, two relievers completed the shutout, and Billy Butler hit a solo home run to lead Kansas City over the Astros.

Cubs 2, White Sox 1

In Chicago, Travis Wood pitched six strong innings for his first win as a starter in more than a year and the Cubs beat the White Sox.

Tigers 6, Cardinals 3

In Detroit, Justin Verlander allowed one earned run in seven innings, leading the Tigers to a victory over St. Louis.

Athletics 3, Dodgers 0

In Oakland, Brandon McCarthy showed no signs of an ailing shoulder in seven impressive innings.

Rangers 7, Padres 3

In San Diego, Josh Hamilton returned to the Texas lineup after missing four starts due to illness and hit a two-run triple.

Angels 12, Giants 5

In Anaheim, Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer, Mark Trumbo added a three-run triple and drove in five runs.

Blue Jays 10, Brewers 9

In Milwaukee, Colby Rasmus and Jose Bautista erased a one-run deficit with back-to-back home runs off closer John Axford in the ninth and Toronto rallied to a win.

Brewers leadoff batter Norichika Aoki finished 0-for-5.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Phillies 7, Rockies 2

In Philadelphia, Cole Hamels threw eight sharp innings and John Mayberry Jr. and Carlos Ruiz hit two-run homers for the Phillies.

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Matsui seen as DH option for Yanks

New York — U.S. media reported Monday the New York Yankees have contacted Hideki Matsui about a possible return to the Bronx as designated hitter.

The news came after New York's agreement to trade designated hitter/catcher Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.

"Now the Yankees must figure out who will replace Montero as their designated hitter for the 2012 season," MLB.com reported.

"While the Yankees internally are touting a combination of minor league slugger Jorge Vazquez and veteran Andruw Jones, several veteran options are emerging on the free-agent market, as the Yankees have made contact with the representatives for Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Carlos Pena."

Last year, Vazquez hit 32 home runs for Triple-A Scranton, while Matsui hit .251 with 12 homers and 72 RBIs in 141 games for the Oakland Athletics.

A's manager Bob Melvin said in Tokyo on Monday that Matsui's return to Oakland is unlikely.

The New York Post quoted CBSSports.com as calling Matsui's return to the Yankees as a "decent fit" considering the team's stated budget.

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