Yankees teeter on elimination

PAWTUCKET, R.I. �?? If Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees pitcher Ramon Ortiz was so inclined, he could sue his team for non-support.

Not only did the Yankees commit two errors which led to two unearned runs but they also were 1-for-9 with RISP.

As a result, the Pawtucket Red Sox rallied for a 3-2 victory Thursday night in Game 2 of the teams�?? best-of-five Governors�?? Cup semifinal series and leads 2-0.

The teams bused to Rochester afterwards for Game 3 tonight which will pit Yankees�?? left-hander Mike O�??Conner against Pawtucket right-hander Billy Buckner.

�??(Ortiz) pitched very well and gave us a chance to win,�?� manager Dave Miley said. �??We didn�??t make some plays behind him.

�??In close games, that�??s what sticks out. I think he gave up one earned run. Again, like (Wednesday night), we had opportunities and didn�??t drive in big runs. But you�??ve got to make the plays behind the guy. Unfortunately, we didn�??t do it tonight.�?�

Ortiz worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed six hits �?? some of which were �??soft�?� �?? and threw 63 of 93 pitches for strikes. But just like in Game 1, the Yankees scored first only to cough up the lead.

Luke Murton led the second with an infield hit off Chris Hernandez, advanced to third on Melky Mesa�??s double and scored on Austin Romine�??s groundout.

Mesa moved up a base on Hernandez�??s balk and scored on Cole Garner�??s single.

Ortiz made that 2-0 lead stand up until the fifth when he was betrayed by his defense. Dan Butler hit a smash to third which was picked by Kevin Russo. But Russo�??s throw sailed over first baseman Murton�??s head for a two-base error. Butler scored on Bryce Brentz�??s double.

Ortiz had to shake his head in disbelief during what transpired in the seventh.

Nate Spears lofted a �??nine iron�?� down the left field line which fell between Russo, shortstop Ramiro Pena and left fielder Ronnie Mustellier for a double.

Ortiz fanned Butler, but Brentz flared a game-tying single to right.

Jon Hee followed with a grounder toward second which just eluded Corban Joseph for a single. But Garner�??s throw to third sailed past Russo for another two-base error that scored Brentz and gave Pawtucket a 3-2 lead.

�??In close games, playoff atmosphere, you�??ve got to make the plays and we made mistakes on a couple of plays,�?� Miley said. �??The one ball that got through (Hee�??s single), we�??ve got to keep it in the infield somehow.

�??It all added up to a loss.�?�