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O's try to deliver knockout blow to Yanks

Sep 24, 2014 - 11:37 AM (SportsNetwork.com) - Shane Greene hopes for a little run support this afternoon when the New York Yankees continue a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium.

Greene scattered three hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings on Thursday against Toronto, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 3-2 win. It was the second time in his last three starts that Greene failed to surrender an earned run and the second time he did not earn a decision.

"This young man's got four pitches that he can go to," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "(He) has confidence in them and has the ability to throw strikes. He's been impressive to me."

Greene's only decision in that span was a win over the Orioles on Sept. 13. He's beaten the O's both times he's faced them and has pitched to a 1.42 ERA in those outings.

Baltimore, meanwhile, will hand the ball to righty Bud Norris in his final tuneup before the postseason. Norris, at times, has looked like an ace and is 14-8 with a 3.62 ERA.

He enters his final regular season start having won his last three decisions. One of those wins came against the Yankees on Sept. 12. He is a perfect 3-0 versus the Yankees with a 2.12 ERA.

Baltimore may have delivered the death knell to the Yankees' improbable postseason hopes on Tuesday, as Nick Markakis went 4-for-5 with three RBI and slugged one of three Orioles home runs in a 5-4 victory.

Nelson Cruz added three hits, including his 40th homer of the season, while ex-Yankee Kelly Johnson also had a solo shot as part of a 3-for-5 night.

"Every game is important," Markakis said. "Every chance you can get home- field advantage is definitely big."

With Kansas City defeating Cleveland on Tuesday, the Yankees now stand five games behind the Royals for the American League's second wild card with five to play.

Baltimore's 17-hit barrage supported a relatively effective outing from Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9), who held the Yankees to a pair of runs on three hits over five- plus innings.

All three Oriole homers were served up by Brandon McCarthy (7-5), roughed up for 11 hits and five runs despite fanning eight over 5 1/3 innings.

Brian McCann finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer that pulled the Yankees within one in the seventh, but Zach Britton struck out Derek Jeter with the tying run on base in the ninth to notch his 36th save.

Jeter, playing in likely his third-to-last game at Yankee Stadium, had an infield single and scored a run in five trips to the plate.

"It's been loud," said Jeter. "The fans have been awesome."

There is a slight chance that this could be Jeter's final home game, as heavy rain is in the forecast for Thursday.

Baltimore has won 12 of 17 from the Yanks this season.