Birthday Baseball (An Occasional Series): Game 28 – July 12, 2014
By now our readers know the story… I am looking back to see how the Yankees performed on my birthday each year since I’ve been born and then telling the story of what took place on that summer day.
As always, whenever I do research like this, my first two stops are always Retrosheet and Baseball-Reference.
Let’s head back to 2014…
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On Saturday, July 12, 2014, the Yankees played the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
The orioles came into the game with a better record than the Yankees. They were 51-41. The Yanks were 46-46. This was the penultimate game before the All-Star Break.
Shane Greene (1-0) went for the Yankees against Chris Tillman (7-4).
The Yankees’ lineup was as follows:
Brett Gardner -lf
Derek Jeter – ss
Jacoby Ellsbury – cf
Mark Teixeira – 1b
Brian McCann – dh
Ichiro Suzuki – rf
Brian Roberts – 2b
Kelly Johnson – 3b
Francisco Cervelli – c
The Orioles countered with:
Nick Markakis – rf
Steve Pearce – lf
Adam Jones – cf
Nelson Cruz – dh
Chris Davis – 1b
J.J. Hardy – ss
Manny Machado – 3b
Ryan Flaherty- 2b
Nick Hundley – c
***
For the Yankees, the only player in the starting lineup to come into the game with a batting average over .300 was Ichiro Suzuki.
***
The game began with the Yankees going down in order.
In the interest of fair play, the Orioles did the same.
In the second, the Yankees’ inning began with a Teixeira single. This was followed by a walk to Brian McCann, but the next three batters were retired in order.
Shane Greene had no trouble with the Baltimorians and retired them in order again.
The New Yorkers were able to mount a more successful rally in the third inning. Francisco Cervelli singled. Brett Gardner then hit into a fielder’s choice and then advanced to second on a Derek Jeter single. After a Jacoby Ellsbury strikeout, Mark Teixeira hit a double that scored Gardner and didn’t score Jeter as he was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Shane (Cy Young) Greene retired the Orioles in order in the third.
The Yankees went down in order in the fourth.
The Orioles were able to get a bases on balls to Steve Peace in their half of the fourth, but that was it.
“Sandy Koufax” Greene was pitching a no-hitter through four innings!
The Yankees didn’t do much in their fifth and then in the bottom of the fifth,
Shane Greene struck out Chris Davis swinging
Shane Greene struck out J.J. Hardy looking
and
Manny Machado broke up the no-no with a single.
Ryan Flaherty then singled Machado to third and then stole second base, but Shane Greene struck out Nick Hundley to close out the frame and preserve his shutout.
In the top of the sixth, the Yankees saw Jacoby Ellsbury walk and Brian McCann single, but it didn’t see them score any runs.
The Orioles began their frame with two singles, but a double play and a strikeout ended the threat.
After six innings, the Yankees led 1-0.
Chris Tillman’s game would end in the seventh inning. Kelly Johnson singled to open the Yankees’ seventh. Francisco Cervelli then lined out. A wild pitch sent Johnson to second. Brett Gardner then struck out. Derek Jeter though singled home Johnson with the Yankees’ second run of the game.
T.J. McFarland then came into the game for the Orioles and promptly gave up an RBI double to Jacoby Ellsbury. The Yankees now led 3-0. It could have been more. After an intentional walk to Mark Tiexeira, Brian McCann singled and Jacoby Ellsbury became the second Yankee to be thrown out at home in the game.
The Orioles did nothing (other than a Machado walk) in their half of the seventh. Greene kept his shutout alive.
In the 8th, the Yankees went down in order.
The Orioles got to see Shane Greene, David Huff, and Shawn Kelley in their half of the 8th, but all they could manage was a Nick Markakis single.
In the ninth, the Yankees went down in order.
Now facing David Robertson, the Orioles did the same.
The Yankees won this one 3-0.
***
Yankees Record on July 12 (in this series – since 1968): 20-7
(There were no games played on July 12 in 1971, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, or 2012.)
Hideki Matsui (as a Yankee on July 12): 2 for 9 (.222), double, strikeout, 3 walks
Derek Jeter on July 12 (to date): 12 for 34 (.353), 6 runs, 6 RBI, 5 SO, 2 BB, home run
Mariano Rivera on July 12 (to date): 3 innings, no runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 1 save, 1 blown save (0.00)
Don Mattingly on July 12 (in his career on July 12): 12 for 31 (.387), 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, SO
Graig Nettles (as a Yankee on July 12): 33 AB, 7 hits (.212), 1 run, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks. 1 RBI (I had hoped that my favorite player would have done better on my birthday.)
