Orioles force deciding game against Yankees

NEW YORK – With midnight approaching, the Baltimore Orioles’ bats awoke for one more improbable rally.

Now they have a last shot to finally overtake the New York Yankees.

J.J. Hardy hit an RBI double in the 13th inning and Baltimore bounced back from a demoralizing loss to outlast the Yankees 2-1 Thursday night, forcing a deciding Game 5 in the A.L. division series.

After splitting 22 games this year, it all comes down this: a winner-take-all game for a spot in the A.L. championship series.

Game 1 winner CC Sabathia was set to pitch the deciding game for the Yankees. Orioles manager Buck Showalter had not announced his starter.

The Orioles were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position until Hardy doubled off David Phelps with one out to score Manny Machado. Phelps had relieved in the 12th after Joba Chamberlain was hit by a flying broken bat, forcing him to leave with a bruised right elbow.

Jim Johnson bounced back from allowing Raul Ibanez’s pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning Wednesday to earn his second save in the series with a perfect 13th.

Hours after learning Joe Girardi had kept quiet that his father died last Saturday, the Yankees couldn’t rally late.

This time, Girardi called upon Eric Chavez to pinch hit for slumping Alex Rodriguez.

He lined out to third base to end it.