Orioles beat bullpen, not Hughes

Alex Rodriguez made the final out in a ninth-inning comeback that fell one run short, as the Yankees (12-7) fell to the Orioles (4-16) 5-4.

Quick ‘Cap:
Jorge Posada broke a 1-1 tie with a mammoth homer in the fourth, but that was the last Yankees’ lead. Joe Girardi pulled Phil Hughes with two out in the sixth and nobody on, and that decision came back to haunt him as the Orioles rallied for three runs.

Down 5-2 in the ninth with two out and runners on first and second, Brett Gardner reached base for the second time by error to drive in a run. After Derek Jeter K’d, Mark Teixeira hit an RBI single putting the tying run 90 feet from home. Rodriguez grounded up the middle, but the defense was set up perfectly to get the force out at second. Yankees-Orioles box score.

Thoughts:
I agreed with Girardi’s decision to pull Hughes at 109 pitches. Boone Logan walked his only batter and David Robertson imploded — that’s all you can say. It was still another encouraging start for Hughes, even though he walked four.

Line of the Night:
Nick Swisher: 3-for-4, 2 R. He improved his BA by 34 points to .258.

Up Next:
Same time Wednesday night: CC Sabathia vs. Jeremy Guthrie.