http://tinyurl.com/8hgpgle Chen bests Pettitte as O's draw even in ALDS By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com | 10/9/2012 12:56 AM ET Comments (268) NYY@BAL Gm2: Chen hurls 6 1/3 frames of two-run ball BALTIMORE -- The crowd was bigger, the spotlight brighter and the stakes much higher. And, in the second playoff game hosted in Baltimore since 1997, a resilient Orioles club delivered. A night removed from a damaging five-run meltdown from closer Jim Johnson, the Orioles got a stellar start from rookie Wei-Yin Chen and just enough offense to edge the New York Yankees, 3-2, Monday night and even the American League Division Series at 1. And while a spirited sellout crowd of 48,187 at Camden Yards proudly waved their white towels at every turn, a gritty O's club -- predicted by many to finish in the AL East basement -- showed that they're nowhere near surrendering. Chen anchored the team's efforts, matching Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte for most of the evening before exiting to a standing ovation after a career-high 112-pitch outing that lasted into the seventh inning. Right fielder Chris Davis delivered a key two-out two-RBI single in the third with Mark Reynolds' sixth-inning RBI single the difference. "You definitely don't want to go into New York in a five-game series down two games," Davis said. "This is big. We'll have the day off [Tuesday] and hopefully build up the momentum and take it into New York." Johnson, who led the Majors with 51 saves, reverted back to his old ways, tossing a scoreless ninth inning after a fabulous four-out appearance from lefty Brian Matusz to improve the Orioles to an astounding 76-0 when leading after seven innings. Pettitte, the all-time postseason leader in starts and wins, retired eight straight before the Orioles broke through for a pair of two-out runs in the third. The O's loaded the bases on hits from Robert Andino and Nate McLouth and, after Pettitte walked J.J. Hardy on four pitches, Davis sent a ball into right field for a two-run single to give the O's a 2-1 lead. Adam Jones followed, sending a ball into left field and just out of the reach of Yankees captain Derek Jeter, but Hardy was watching third baseman Alex Rodriguez -- who deked him -- and missed the ball scooting into left field and third-base coach DeMarlo Hale frantically waving him around to score. The missed opportunity cost the O's a run, with catcher Matt Wieters popping up on the first pitch to end the inning. Wieters doubled to start the sixth and give the O's their third consecutive leadoff runner, and Reynolds made sure it didn't go to waste in sending Pettitte's first pitch into right field for an RBI single to push the lead to 3-1. Chen, the only Orioles pitcher to make more than 20 starts this season, made the runs stand up as the 27-year-old was superb in his first career postseason start. Working on six days' rest, Chen allowed one earned run over 6 1/3 innings, scattering eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts. "I'm real proud of Wei," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "All year long you think of all the challenges that have been with him since Day One of Spring Training, and I think his teammates have done a great job of making his path easier and making him feel good." Chen had 96 pitches to start the seventh -- having allowing only an unearned run -- and New York inched closer on Jeter's RBI to left field. Chen exited after Ichiro Suzuki's fielder's choice, tipping his hat to the Orioles faithful as he exited in favor of right-hander Darren O'Day. After O'Day struck out Rodriguez, lefty Matusz intentionally walked Robinson Cano, and a wild pitch put a pair of Yankees runners in scoring position. But Matusz, who had a 1.35 ERA in 18 regular-season relief appearances, continued to come up big for the O's, getting Nick Swisher to fly out to remain perfect in stranding inherited runners this season. Chen worked out of a bases-loaded spot in the fourth inning, allowing a pair of hits and a walk, but got Eduardo Nunez to pop up and Jeter to ground out to keep the O's one-run lead intact. Ichiro scored the first run off Chen, reaching on first baseman Reynolds' fielding error and scoring on a bizarre dance around catcher Wieters' glove. ※ 編輯: liuche5566 來自: 219.87.85.162 (10/09 14:05)