Big Ninth Inning Backs Up Offensive Struggles in Yankees First Walk-Off Win of Season

In his last three starts, Hiroki Kuroda has frustratingly gotten just two earned runs of support.

The Yankees' number two pitcher, going into tonight's outing against the Orioles, had surrendered no more than two trips around the bases in two of his last three appearances, all New York losses.

Unfortunately, that trend continued for most of this contest, before a bottom-of-the-ninth rally headed by Carlos Beltran bailed the Yanks out in a 5-3 win.

In the contest, Kuroda, whose ERA is now 4.23, didn't give up a hit until the top of the sixth, when Baltimore broke out for four total knocks, a double from Steve Pearce and a single from Adam Jones driving men home.

At that point, Kuroda and the Bombers trailed 2-1, blowing an advantage Mark Teixeira gave them in the bottom of the first, when #25 scored Jacoby Ellsbury with a base hit to right after the latter singled and stole second.

From then until the bottom of the ninth, the Pinstripes got plenty of scoring opportunities, stranding the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh.

Overall, New York left 11 runners in this one, making their final AB appear pretty worthless.

Good thing that wasn't true.

After watching David Huff allow another unearned run in the top half of the frame, the Yanks rallied with a man on first and two out in their last chance, putting the tying run on base after a Teixeira walk.

Following that, the suddenly-hot Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran stepped up to the plate, with McCann singling home a run to keep the game alive and Beltran driving one into the left field seats, giving Zach Britton (0.2 IP, 4 ER) the loss and the Bombers their first walk-off victory of the season.

Beltran's seventh homer of the year also spoiled a nice start from the O's Ubaldo Jimenez, who gave up just one earned run in 5.2 frames.