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Kuroda, Yankees blank O's

Apr 15, 2013 - 4:56 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Hiroki Kuroda tossed his fifth career shutout and Brett Gardner smacked a two-run homer as part of a three-run fifth inning in the New York Yankees' 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Kuroda (2-1) fanned five, surrendered just five hits and didn't allow an Oriole to advance past first until the ninth in his first shutout since August 14 of last year against the Texas Rangers.

"I thought his sinker was excellent," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He kept his pitch count down, that's why I kept running him out there."

Brennan Boesch had two hits and scored a run for New York, which has won five of its last six games.

Wei-Yin Chen (0-2) allowed six hits and a walk over six frames for the Orioles, who had won eight of their last 12 meetings against the Yankees in the Bronx.

"With very few exceptions, he was just as good as Kuroda," O's manager Buck Showalter said of Chen.

Chen had gave up just a pair of singles and a walk over his first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth.

Back-to-back singles by Boesch and Francisco Cervelli began the frame. Lyle Overbay's flyout to right allowed Boesch to tag and advance to third before he scored on Jayson Nix's sacrifice fly to right. Gardner stepped up next and belted a two-run shot high off the foul pole in right to make it 3-0.

In the ninth, Nick Markakis reached with one out following a fielding error by Nix at shortstop. He advanced to second on Adam Jones' groundout to third, but Chris Davis struck out for a third time to end the contest.

Game Notes

The Yankees were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base ... Robinson Cano, who was 11-for-19 with three homers and four doubles over his last four games coming in, went 0-for-3.