Imperfect Tanaka gets no support in 2nd loss

NEW YORK – The Yankees were in the swing of things now in the last of the first — Tino Martinez RBI single; Hideki Matsui RBI fielder's choice; Willie Randolph RBI double; Reggie Jackson RBI single.

The team's victory-filled past was coming to life on the 68th annual Old-Timers' Day Sunday at Yankee Stadium. The Bombers were on their way to a victory over the Clippers in the 3½-inning warm-up act.

Soon it would be Tanaka time, time for the Yankees' rookie sensation to step up on the mound in the real game, which usually means they are going to win.

But while Masahiro Tanaka delivered a quality start for the 15th time in 15 tries, the current Yankees never got in the swing of things. Chris Tillman allowed all four of their hits across seven innings. The Orioles took the series finale 8-0, so both teams are 1½ games behind the Blue Jays.

The loss dropped Tanaka to 11-2. His ERA rose from 1.99 to 2.11.

"He's not going to be perfect," manager Joe Girardi said. "The thing is, you look at it and you had a 4-2 homestand against division rivals. Big picture, that's good. It's disappointing because we were 4-0."

Tanaka gave up three runs and six hits in his seven-inning outing. Joe Torre wouldn't have minded having Tanaka around when he was managing the team.

"We could've found a place for him, I think," Torre said, back on the field during old-timers batting practice.

"They've had a lot of injuries, but now that everything's heaped on his shoulders with CC (Sabathia) out and a lot of the guys out, it doesn't look like he's doing anything other than going out there and trying to win a ballgame."

Jonathan Schoop hit his sixth homer and second of the season off Tanaka to give Baltimore a 1-0 edge in the second.

"After that, I think I battled pretty well," Tanaka said via an interpreter.

Tanaka didn't crack again until a two-run seventh.

Baltimore floored it with a three-run double by J.J. Hardy and an RBI single by Manny Machado in the eighth off Adam Warren.

With runners at first and second, no outs and no runs in yet, Kelly Johnson stepped on third with a Nelson Cruz grounder. But Steve Pearce's takeout slide caused Johnson to send a high throw to first, and it landed in the stands. Girardi called Pearce's action "pretty malicious."

"I don't think he intended to try to hurt him, but it was a pretty violent and dangerous slide," Girardi said.

"When I saw the replay, I was like, 'Man, I was really far away from the bag,' " Pearce said. " ... I was trying to time it, trying to take him out before he can make the throw."

Then T.J. McFarland took out Mark Teixeira, hitting him with a pitch on the last two toes of his left foot in the bottom of the eighth. Teixeira walked down near first, took off his helmet, slammed it down with two hands and left the game. He had broken a toe in 2010. But X-rays were negative.

Teixeira thought he would be able to play Monday night in Toronto.

"I thought it was broken again," Teixeira said, "so I just took it out on my helmet."

Twitter: @bheyman99