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NEW YORK — Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer off Koji Uehara in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to give the New York Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles that was tempered by news of a potentially serious injury to Jorge Posada.
With the Orioles closing in on their first three-game sweep in the Bronx since 1986, Alex Rodriguez opened the ninth with a single on the first pitch from Uehara (1-1). Robinson Cano flied out and Swisher, hobbled by a stiff left knee, drove a 2-0 pitch to the opposite field and into the Baltimore bullpen in left-center.
It was Swisher’s 26th home run of the season and his third career game-ending shot. The previous one came exactly a year before, against Tampa Bay’s Dan Wheeler.
Swisher began the day in an 0-for-14 slide before getting two hits. He raised his arms as he rounded first base in the ninth, circled the bases gingerly and tossed his helmet high in the air as he approached a mob of jubilant teammates waiting for him at home plate.
Moments later, Swisher took the familiar whipped cream pie in the face from pitcher A.J. Burnett.
“Was the whipped cream fresh? They hadn’t done it in a while,” Girardi said.
Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer and Brad Bergesen pitched 6 1-3 effective innings for Baltimore.
The resurgent Orioles, with the worst record in the AL but gaining fast on Seattle, fell just short of their first five-game winning streak since June 2009.
New York got a solid start from rookie Ivan Nova and ended a three-game skid that followed a season-best eight-game winning streak. The Yankees are the only team in the big leagues without a four-game losing streak this year.
New York has never been on the wrong end of a three-game sweep in its new stadium, which opened last year. The only time the Yankees were swept this season was in a two-game series May 19-20 against Tampa Bay.
Joba Chamberlain (3-4) struck out two in a hitless ninth for the win.
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Swisher’s walk-off shot sinks Orioles
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