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Yankees use 10-run fourth to slide by Orioles

Sep 30, 2007 - 3:42 AM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BALTIMORE (Ticker) - Shelley Duncan had two hits, including a two-run home run, as the New York Yankees exploded for 10 runs in the fourth inning and beat the Baltimore Orioles, 11-10, on Saturday night.

The Yankees have safely secured the AL wild card, having lost any chance to win the American League East with a defeat on Friday night.

With just one game remaining in the regular season, manager Joe Torre decided to rest several of his regulars.

Even without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, New York sent 12 men to the plate in the fourth - and the first nine scored.

Duncan had a single and his seventh home run of the year to cap the fourth, Melky Cabrera added a two-run double and Robinson Cano a two-run single. Wilson Betemit, Jason Giambi and Bronson Sardinha also drove in runs during the Yankees' huge inning. Another run scored on an error.

It was Duncan's 28th birthday - and his home run made it a special day.

"I didn't even put it together that I hit a home run on my birthday until really, really late in the game," Duncan said.

The 10 runs tied a Yankees' season high for an inning and erased an early 6-1 Baltimore lead.

Daniel Cabrera (9-18) was charged with seven of the runs and finished the season on a eight-game winless streak. Only one Orioles pitcher in team history has lost more than 18 in a season.

"Don't ask me any questions about Daniel because he's fine," Miguel Tejada said. "It's been a tough year for him and for everybody."

Andy Pettitte (15-9) sputtered his way through five innings, allowing nine runs to record the win. He's now 22-6 all-time against the Orioles.

"I'm extremely disappointed in this outing," Pettitte said. "You never want to go out there and get knocked around." Torre has not decided if Pettitte will start the first or second game of the American League Divisional Series, but with little at stake, he thought Pettitte was not himself.

"The intensity with which we've played for so long, I think it's a natural," Torre said. "Physically, he was fine. We wanted to take him out an inning earlier. He just wanted to get his work in and that's what happened."

Edwar Ramirez pitched a perfect sixth and Ron Villone pitched the next two innings - allowing a one-out solo shot to Jay Payton in the eighth - before turning the ninth over to Jose Veras, who posted his second save in as many chances.

Nick Markakis had three hits, including a two-run home run for Baltimore, which has lost 27 of its last 38 games. The Orioles have allowed 10 or more runs in a game 18 times this year, with 10 of them coming since the 30-3 loss on August 22 against that triggered the long losing stretch.