Since today is Thursday, it only makes sense to follow suit across social media platforms and dedicate a post to “Throwback Thursday.” On this TBT, we will look at the magical game that was Game 3 of the 2012 ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles. If you are unfamiliar with which game this was, you can simply call it the “Raul Ibanez Game.” If you are still unfamiliar with which game I am referring to, well then I suggest you buy every Yankees DVD on the market and become a better fan.
So to preface this article, let us breakdown the events that got us to this point in Game 3. The Yankees finished the 2012 season with 95 wins and won the AL East for the second consecutive year. That was the last season the Yankees won the division and they would go on to have back to back seasons without a playoff berth.
Winning the division earned the Bombers home field advantage and they played hosts to the Baltimore Orioles. With the first two games being in Baltimore due to the new “2-3” wild card format, the Yankees took the first game after a five run 9th inning, winning 7-2. C.C. Sabathia turned in a strong performance, perhaps his best one over the past three seasons. Jim Johnson would get the loss and it would only be the beginning of his postseason struggles.
Game 2 of the series was a pitching match-up that did not disappoint. The big lefty Andy Pettitte squared off against Wei-Yin Chen, but came up short 3-2 in typical Yankees fashion-following an offensive outburst with a complete dud at the plate. Tying the series up at 1-1, the final three games would be held in the Bronx.
Huroki Kuroda got the call for Game 3 and squared off against Miguel Gonzalez. Another masterful pitching performance was turned in by both players and after the Orioles took the lead in the fifth, the Yankees were down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th. With one out and A-Rod due up, Girardi finally showed some guts and pulled the struggling (read: dreadful) slugger and inserted Raul Ibanez.
With A-Rod watching idly by in the dugout, Ibanez slugged a line drive over the right-center field fence off of Jim Johnson to tie the game at 2-2. Both the Orioles and Yankees would go scoreless through the 10th and 11th innings, which brought us back to that man Ibanez again. Raul would lead off the bottom of the 12th inning against tough lefty Brian Matusz and launched the first pitch he saw into the second deck in right field. The walk-off homerun would give the Yankees a 2-1 series lead.
The Bombers would once again forget how to hit in Game 4 and would lose in the 13th inning 2-1 to tie up the series, before winning Game 5 3-1 after another terrific start by Sabathia. The Yankees would wind up getting swept by the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS, but this game is one of the most memorable Yankee games to date. Raul Ibanez earned himself countless invitations to Old Timer’s Day with his string of clutch hits and electric personality in the dugout.
Nothing But Pinstripes 