The last time that any Orioles fans had much occasion to think of Tyler Clippard, before last night, was during the World Baseball Classic. Clippard happened to be the pitcher who threw the pitch to Manny Machado that would have been blasted over the center field fence were it not for the amazing effort of Adam Jones as he crashed into a sea of expressive American fans.
Clippard’s fortunes have not improved, if Friday night is any indication. He was on the mound for the Yankees when Seth Smith delivered the clutch go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, a towering shot that just managed to fall into the front part of the flag court above the out-of-town scoreboard at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.