Yankees explode for five runs in 9th, beat O’s 7-2 in Game 1

There was a lot of waiting for this one. The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles had to wait out a long rain delay, two hours and 26 minutes, before starting the first game of their Division Series. The Orioles’ fans have waited 15 years to see their team in the postseason at all.

But they couldn’t out-score them.

Goodness. There’s just blood and feathers everywhere.

After that Russell Martin homer led off the ninth, Jim Johnson could only retire one batter (A-Rod swinging) as Raul Ibañez singled, Derek Jeter poked one through the right side on a hit and run, and Ichiro squibbed a tiny grounder that Johnson couldn’t get to in time, scoring a run. Robinson Cano knocked a double into the left field corner, scoring two more, and that was all for Johnson in the game.

Sabathia’s masterful eighth inning parlayed the Yankees into an opportunity for a lead, and ... well, of course it’s Russell Martin, batting eighth, getting it done against a 50-save closer.

Jim Johnson threw one to Martin who lifted it over the left field wall, giving them a 3-2 lead. Just like they drew it up.

His pitch count was holding steady into the eighth, but would a fresh Yankee arm be needed?

That looked like the case after J.J. Hardy sewed a double down the right field line. But CC Sabathia, finally hitting the 100-pitch milestone, struck out Adam Jones, then Matt Wieters split his bat in half on a foulout to Mark Teixeira and Mark Reynolds dribbled a grounder to shortstop, ending the threat.

Got all that?

Now it really gets interesting.

Handily reliable during the regular season, Orioles lefty reliever Troy Patton walked less than two batters per nine innings. He led off the top of the seventh with consecutive walks — the first time Patton did that all season — of Russell Martin and Raul Ibañez. Showalter then pulled him for the right-handed sidearmer Darren O’Day.

Derek Jeter bunted his teammates over, but with an RBI opportunity Ichiro grounded sharply to Robert Andino, who fired it home, nailing Russell Martin for the big second out. Alex Rodriguez whiffed on O’Day’s wacky fastballs for the third out, and Patton can breathe easily knowing he didn’t guff this up.

The Yankees are just really patient, darn them.

Just more of that Oriole luck? It’s still 2-2 in the sixth. Ask us in about an hour.

Jason Hammel rolled through the top of the fifth in order, but at a cost. He’s at 99 pitches thrown, so he’s not expected to last much longer.

Meanwhile, CC Sabathia’s pitch count remains healthily low. He worked around a solid single by 1B/DH/RP Chris Davis and a million-bounce grounder by Robert Andino escaped the CLUTCHES of Derek Jeter (see what I did there). Sabathia turned right around and struck out Nate McLouth and forced J.J. Hardy into an easy fielder’s choice.

Gotta love that slide, and the Mickey Mouse gloves.

He drew a walk this time, too.

Sure, he’s got a .652 career winning percentage. But what about this?

Well, obviously Nate McLouth is factoring into the playoffs in a big way. McLouth smacked a line drive hit, scoring scoring Chris Davis and Lew Ford and giving the Orioles their first lead of the ALDS.

Ford’s single, by the way, caused his bat to shatter and land in your yard. Please go retrieve it before somebody slips on it.

Wouldn’t hate to lose a game because of something you did in the first few minutes? Something you just can’t, as hard as you try, take back? Kevin Appier, one of the hardest-luck pitchers in major-league history, once gave up a leadoff home run, but not another hit the whole rest of the game.

He lost, 1-0.

I didn’t see any of this except for the Cano part, so I regret that I don’t have any sort of interesting commentary to add. The important part is that I didn’t have to watch The Big Bang Theory.

The Orioles have taken four of the last seven meetings between the they spent much of the stretch run battling the Yankees for the division title. New York eventually prevailed, clinching on the last day of the regular season. That allowed the Yankees to have home field advantage for the series, as the first two games will be played in Baltimore before the ALDS moves to New York for Game 3. Games 4 and 5 will also be at Yankee Stadium if necessary.

With every playoff game that features Nate McLouth leading off for the Baltimore Orioles, I’m going to mention something about Nate McLouth leading off a playoff game for the Baltimore Orioles This can’t be talked about enough. Nate McLouth is leading off for the Baltimore Orioles in a playoff game. Oh, you wacky Mayans.

The lineup:

Ah, to go back in time to 2001 and tell a Mariners fan that the Yankees would eventually start a playoff game with the first three spots filled by Derek Jeter, Ichiro, and Alex Rodriguez. You’d probably get stabbed, but for a split-second, you’d get a priceless look of uncomprehending rage. It’d be worth it.

The lineup for the New York Yankees, who are taking on Jason Hammel and the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the American League Division Series:

Then he lost four straight, and went on the Disabled List, and came back in September for a couple of starts, and got hurt again. His last outing came on the 11th of September, when he had to retire in the fourth inning because of a knee injury.

And now he’s back. Is Hammel the right man for this so-important job? We’ll know in a few hours. But Buck Showalter’s been pushing the right buttons with his rotation for most of the season.

During the regular season, Baltimore and New York met 18 times, splitting their victories evenly. Over these regular season games, the Orioles took a slight scoring edge over the Yankees at 92-90. Simply put, these teams’ performances this season, both against each other and against the rest of Major League Baseball, were fairly even, with Baltimore finishing just two games back of New York.

The game will be broadcast nationally on TBS.