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Cano singles in winning run as Yankees edge Orioles

May 23, 2008 - 3:39 AM By Zachary Braziller PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Robinson Cano finally got the clutch hit the New York Yankees were sorely lacking.

The struggling second baseman delivered a game-winning, opposite-field single in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday to lift the Yankees to a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Hideki Matsui led off the ninth with a single and, after Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi struck out, Bobby Abreu walked. Cano followed with an opposite-field single off Jim Johnson (0-2) to plate Matsui.

"It doesn't give me a lot of confidence because I got a hit, it's because we won two games in a row and this is a start for us here at home," Cano said. "Right now, it's not about getting hits, it's when you get them. For us, it's about winning games. That's what we're looking for."

The Yankees received a combined three innings of one-hit relief from Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera (1-1) in support of rookie Ian Kennedy, who delivered his finest start of the young season. The righthander allowed just one run and four hits with four walks and four strikeouts in six innings.

"He showed he's capable," Rivera said of Kennedy.

It was New York's first series win in five tries, dating to the beginning of the month, when the club swept a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead when Freddie Bynum drilled a run-scoring triple in the third inning. Kennedy then walked the next two batters to load the bases before working out of the jam.

Kennedy, who briefly was sent to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this month because of ineffectiveness, struck out Nick Markakis with a high fastball and got cleanup hitter Aubrey Huff to fly out to left field.

Getting out of the jam served as a turning point for Kennedy, who retired seven of the next eight hitters. He battled out of more trouble in the sixth, stranding two more baserunners.

"It reminded me of what I used to do, not in the recent past, but more like last year and the years before that," Kennedy said. "I've always come out of those situations with a big strikeout, like tonight of Markakis. All I did was trust my stuff."

The Yankees evened the game at 1-1 in the fourth on Shelley Duncan's sacrifice fly. But that was all they could muster against Baltimore lefthander Brian Burres, who retired the side in order in six different innings and set down 11 of the last 12 batters he faced.

"Our guys matched up tonight," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "We came in ready to play and we gave everything we had. We'll take it as a learning experience, especially in this venue. We had our opportunities, but didn't capitalize. I think Johnson will be better because of this opportunity."

New York managed just six hits - all singles - in 7 2/3 innings off Burres, three of which came from leadoff hitter Johnny Damon.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected in the ninth inning for arguing a strikeout call on Giambi. The slugger was called out when a pitch appeared to glance off the knob of his bat and into catcher Ramon Hernandez's glove.

"I just didn't like the explanation," Girardi said, "and that's all I'm going to say."