On the Yankees beat

Orioles (51-55) v. Yankees (58-48)

The Yankees go into the final game against the last place Orioles under the threat of a sweep and having dropped three straight - possibly in the midst of a post-Red Sox swoon. The Yanks have been going down early, and spending the rest of the game playing catch-up. The were down 11-0 in game one before staging a mini rally and it was much of the same yesterday as the their offense woke up late, scoring two in the eighth and three in the ninth before eventually falling, 7-6.

They'll be looking towards Joba Chamberlain (3-3, 2.30 ERA) to play stopper in the third and final game of the series this afternoon. His last start was deeply encouraging for the Yankees; Joba went seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Boston. He's been decent against the Orioles in relief. He's allowed one run in four appearances with a 2.08 ERA.

Facing him will be Dennis Sarfate (4-1, 3.78 ERA). Safarte is a late-add after the Orioles scratched Brian Burres for, well, pitching badly. It's the first big-league start for the righty, who, in four innings of work against the Yankees, has struck out six and allowed no earned runs. The question will be how long he can go before being pulled for pitch count, as unaccustomed as he is to starting.

Laura Albanese here to take you through it. Back soon with the live blog.

FINAL: 13-3, YANKS

Top of the ninth
Dan Giese pitching. Scott grounds out. Millar grounds out to short. Quiroz flies out to right.

Bottom of the eighth
Abreu flies out to left. Moeller hitting for A-Rod; He strikes out swinging. Sexson walks. Cano strikes out.

Top of the eighth
Jones flies out to right and Markakis grounds out. Juan Castro hitting for Huff; Castro hits a solo home run to left. More flies out.

SCORE: 13-3, YANKS

Bottom of the seventh
Abreu homers to right for his second of the day. A-Rod follows up with a solo shot of his own. Richie Sexson into hit and he singles to left. PITCHING CHANGE: Alberto Castillo. Cano grounds out. Nady doubles and Sexson scores. Molina gets grazed by a pitch (left foot) and goes to first. Justin Christian hitting; he singles up the middle. Nady scores. Wilson Betemit hits for Jeter. He strikes out swinging.

SCORE: 13-2, YANKS

Top of the seventh
Edwar Ramirez throws his first pitch up near Millar's head and he gets tossed out. Ramirez doesn't even flinch. PITCHING CHANGE: DAVID ROBERTSON. Millar walks. Quiroz strikes out. Fahey strikes out. Wild pitch and Millar goes to second. BRoberts strikes out.

Bottom of the sixth
Abreu doubles to the right-center wall. A-Rod flies out to left. Giambi bloops an RBI single to left. Cano lines a single to right and Giambi goes first to third. Nady hits a groundrule double to the leftfield corner. Giambi scores and Cano moves to third. PITCHING CHANGE: Fernando Cabrera. They walk Cabrera intentionally. Bases loaded, one out. Molina strikes out swinging. Damon walks and Cano strolls home. Wild pitch; Nady scores and the runners move up. Jeter strikes out for the third time today.

SCORE: 9-2, YANKS

Top of the sixth
Markakis lines a basehit to right and Huff flies out to center. Mora flies out and Markakis is chased back to first. The ball hits him, but Joba backs it up. Chamberlain balks and Markakis goes to second. Scott flies out to right.

Bottom of the fifth
Burres in to pitch. Molina grounds out to short. Damon grounds out to first and Jeter strikes out.

Top of the fifth
Fahey strikes out swinging. Roberts goes down looking for Joba's sixth K. Jones grounds out to short.

Bottom of the fourth
Cano flies out to left. Nady strikes out and Cabrera grounds out to short.

Top of the fourth
Scott strkes out swinging. Millar flies out to left and Quiroz lines out to short.

Bottom of the third
Damon walks. Jeter strikes out swinging. Abreu slams a home run off the right foulpole screen. Two-run shot. A-Rod flies out to left. Giambi pops out to short.

5-2, YANKS

Top of the third
Fahey singles to right. Roberts lines a ball off Cano's glove to put runners at first and second. Jones strikes out swinging. Markakis lines the ball to center. Fahey scores and Roberts goes to second. Huff flies out. Mora grounds out to second.

SCORE: 3-2, YANKS

Bottom of the second
Xavier Nady pops out to Roberts in shallow right. Cabrera pops up to Fahey in shallow left. Molina strikes out swinging and it looks like Sarfate has settled.

Top of the second
Luke Scott pops up to third. Kevin Millar strikes out looking. Quiroz grounds out to short.

Bottom of the first
Damon strikes out swinging. Jeter walks. Abreu walks on four straight, all on fastballs. A-Rod lines the ball to right, Jeter scores, Markakis sails the ball over the plate and Abreu scores (E-9). A-Rod moves to third on the error. Giambi strikes out swinging at the high heat. Sarfate throws a pitch in the dirt and it gets by Quiroz for a passed ball. A-Rod scores. Cano grounds out.

SCORE: 3-1, YANKS

Top of the first
Brian Roberts bounces a ball off of Cano's glove for the E-4. He goes to first. Adam Jones strikes out swinging on a nasty slider. Nick Markakis grounds the ball to a diving Giambi, who takes it to the bag. Roberts moves to second. Aubrey Huff loops the ball into left. It drops in for a single and Roberts scores. Mora bunts for a hit, but Joba gobbles it up for the 1-3.

SCORE: 1-0, ORIOLES