CSN: McClouth's walk-off in 10th snaps O's skid

BALTIMORE ? For the last week, Jim Johnson?s locker has been the most popular stopping point in the Orioles clubhouse. Three times he stood there and explained what went wrong.

Never made any excuses, never any whining.

On Tuesday, his space was a happier place. After blowing three straight saves, Johnson picked up a win after pitching a flawless 10th inning. After Nate McLouth?s game-winning home run, Johnson could breathe a lot more easily.

The Orioles had lost six straight, and their 3-2 win over the New York Yankees in 10 innings before 29,040 at Oriole Park made for a lot of happy people.

?I?m glad the fans are worried because they care,? McLouth said.

?It?s our job to come out that night and play that game and not let the previous day ? or two or three or six ? affect what we do tonight.?

Perhaps bigger news was made after the game when an industry source confirmed a Foxsports.com report that last year?s No. 1 draft choice Kevin Gausman was expected to make his major league debut with the Orioles in Toronto on Thursday.

Manager Buck Showalter said he had no problem with Johnson saving the game. ?Watch it again,? he said on Monday night. There was no game to save.

After Miguel Gonzalez?s excellent seven innings, Tommy Hunter came on to relieve him, and as the game headed to the ninth, Johnson was warming up in the bullpen.

When the game remained tied at 2, Hunter came out to pitch the ninth and Johnson (2-4) watched.

He pitched the top of the 10th and quickly retired the Yankees in order.

McLouth hit his fourth home run of the year off Vidal Nuno (1-1) and the Orioles (24-21) had the win.

?There were a lot more good positive things than a guy that pitched in the 10th inning tonight,? Johnson said.

?It?s been tough, but when I go home at night, it stays here. When I come to the field, I try to work just like I?ve done many years since I?ve been up here. I?ll continue to do that.?

The left-handed hitting McLouth had a game-winning home run off a left-hander. Chris Dickerson had the first two home run game of his career, and Gonzalez pitched valiantly.

Gonzalez hadn?t pitched since May 3 because of a blister on his right thumb, and he did a fine job.

Brett Gardner led off the game with a double, and Travis Hafner?s two-out single drove him in for a 1-0 New York (28-17) lead.

Dickerson?s second home run of the year tied the score in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Manny Machado and Nick Markakis singled off Phil Hughes, but didn?t score as Adam Jones flied deep to right field.

Vernon Wells led off the fourth with a double. Hafner scored him on a single, and New York led 2-1. It was Hafner?s fourth straight at-bat with a home run.

Dickerson led off the fifth with a long homer to right field, his third and the Orioles? first multi-home run game of the season.

It was the Orioles? first win in nine days.

?You know what it hasn?t been that difficult,? Dickerson said.

?This team never gets too down, never gets crushed, you know, it never feels the weight of the pressure.?

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Gonzalez pitched seven innings. It?s just the fourth time an Orioles pitcher has gone that far this season. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out five.

?I think that rest helped me out a little bit,? Gonzalez said. ?The thumb was fine. I didn't have a problem with it. I was confident with all my pitches."

Hughes also allowed two runs on five hits. He pitched six innings, walked two and struck out five.

Showalter was happy with the win, and admitted that the losing affects him.

?It's frustrating. It eats at you. It bothers you because you know there's a lot of people counting on you to make an enjoyable summer. It wasn't a whole lot of fun riding home and seeing all the Orioles shirts down the streets going home at night and knowing they had planned their time around our game. That bothers me,? Showalter said.

NOTES: McLouth had a game-winning home run on Apr. 20, 2010 when he was playing for Atlanta against Philadelphia?s Jose Contreras.

-In his second rehab start, Tsuyoshi Wada pitched four-plus innings, allowing two runs on six hits against Durham. He walked two, struck out one and hit a batter.

-The Yankees became the last major league team to lose a game after scoring first. They?re now 19-1 when that happens.

-Jason Hammel (5-2, 5.72) works against New York?s Hiroki Kuroda (6-2, 1.99) in the finale of the homestand.

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Source: http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/mclouths-10th-inning-homer-makes-johnson-os-winners

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