O's Stay in N.Y. State Of Mind, Top Yankees

Orioles 7, Yankees 6

NEW YORK, July 29 -- With the Baltimore Orioles leading by five runs, starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera was probably already on his way out of the game in the eighth inning when he hit New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees star was the second base runner allowed in the inning by Cabrera, whose pitch might have hit A-Rod's head had it not caught his shoulder first. But it's the way Cabrera left the game that nearly changed the outcome of what became a dramatic 7-6 victory for the Orioles.

Without warning, home plate umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Cabrera, believing that the inside fastball was retribution for a solo shot to center field that Rodriguez smashed earlier in the game. As Cabrera threw his hands up in disbelief, Manager Dave Trembley argued with Fairchild to no avail, and a new energy swept through Yankee Stadium.

"I said, 'Chad, I have seen a lot of baseball games and the one thing you just did is the one thing we've been trying to avoid," Trembley said, relaying his conversation with the umpire. "You just let 54,000 people back in this game. I thought that was just a real key moment of the game."

The Yankees, feeding off the momentum, rallied to within one run in the ninth inning. But the Orioles hung on behind closer George Sherrill -- who allowed three runs before striking out Robinson Canó and Wilson Betemit with the tying run on second base.

"The last three outs are the toughest outs to get in Yankee Stadium and I am real proud of my team for the way they hung in there," Trembley said. "They just played tremendous baseball."

The Orioles clinched a victory in the three-game series, their first series win since taking a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs more than a month ago. But the Orioles celebrated Tuesday night only because of three critical performances:

Designated hitter Aubrey Huff continued his season-defining tear, going 4 for 5 while providing perhaps the two most important hits of the game.

Huff recoiled in disappointment when his towering drive with the bases loaded in the seventh sliced to the outside of the right field foul pole. But two pitches later, Huff lined a Damaso Marte pitch into the deepest part of the cavernous stadium. And by the time an outfielder could retrieve the ball -- which rolled just to the left of the 399-foot sign -- the three men on base easily came home. In his next at-bat, Huff smashed a solo homer that proved to be a critical insurance run.

In his last eight games, seven of which have been multi-hit, Huff is 17 for 34. He finished with four RBI Tuesday.

"I really don't want to talk about it, to be honest with you," said Huff, following the game's superstitious code by avoiding talk of his surge. "You ride it as long as you can."

Cabrera was strong for seven innings before he was ejected, and maintained after the game that he had no intention of hitting Rodriguez. Trembley backed his pitcher as well.

But Fairchild clearly disagreed.

"I was surprised because the game's 6-1, nobody out, runner on second," Cabrera said. "How am I going to put someone on base? So, it surprised me."

Cabrera showed good movement on his sinking fastball and worked his way out of several jams. He allowed three runs , Baltimore's third straight quality start. His effective outing gave Baltimore its third straight victory, a span in which Orioles starters have posted a 2.79 ERA.

Jim Johnson came in for Cabrera in a brutal spot, with runners on first and second and nobody out. He promptly allowed a single to Jason Giambi and a two-run hit to Canó. But Johnson settled down, retiring the next three in order, including a strikeout of pinch hitter Xavier Nady, who could only stare at Johnson's perfect 3-2 curveball over the outside corner.

While New York had cut the lead to three runs, the Orioles left just enough leeway for another heart-stopping outing by Sherrill.

"Johnson, he's got nerves of steel throwing that breaking ball 3-2 there to get the third out in the eighth," Trembley said. "And Sherrill's just got ice in his veins. I'm just real proud of our team. We played great."