Yankees 8

Orioles 5

It is not often that a journeyman like Bruce Chen will out-pitch a future Hall of Famer like Randy Johnson, but that’s what happened for six innings yesterday in front of 50,275 disbelieving fans at the Stadium.

But the Yankees shook off the shock and erased a four-run deficit. After Johnson and Chen were gone, the Yankees scored five runs during a two-out, seventh-inning rally. Ruben Sierra capped off the comeback with a go-ahead, three-run homer.

The sunny day ended with Mariano Rivera entering to a standing ovation and preserving the 8-5 victory over the Orioles.

Rivera allowed Brian Roberts to pull a leadoff double into the right-field corner, but he calmed some nerves by retiring the next three batters, including Miguel Tejada on a fly out to right and Sammy Sosa on a check-swing strikeout.

“He’s getting there,” Joe Torre said of Rivera.

Jason Giambi also could be put into the “getting there” category. Giambi hit his first home run of the season, a fourth-inning solo shot off Chen.

Johnson is likely on his way to the Hall of Fame, and Chen might one day pitch for more teams than anyone in baseball history. The Orioles are Chen’s eighth major-league team and he is just 27. Both starters went six innings and both allowed eight hits. Johnson gave up five runs (four earned), and Chen permitted three runs (two earned). Johnson would have been a 5-3 loser if the score had remained the same.

Johnson watched on television from the Yankees clubhouse as his teammates chipped away at the lead. He saw the Stadium mystique – some might call it luck – work for the home team. Finally, he witnessed how the Yankees rallied so many times last year with solid relief that set up the offensive firepower.

“Outside of my performance, it was Yankee-esque,” Johnson said.

Down 5-3 in the seventh, the Yankees put up a five-spot. Against righty Steve Reed, pinch-hitter Tony Womack drew a one-out walk. Following a Derek Jeter single and an Alex Rodriguez fly out, Gary Sheffield nailed an RBI single to left.

Down a run, Baltimore manager Lee Mazzilli brought in lefty Steve Kline to face lefty Hideki Matsui. Matsui hit a high pop-up to left that probably should have been caught.

“I thought I was completely out,” Matsui said through an interpreter.

The ball skied, waiting for an Oriole to catch it, but left fielder B.J. Surhoff, after a late jump, didn’t get near the ball as it drifted toward the line in shallow left.

Though it was Surhoff’s ball – he was coming in on it – shortstop Miguel Tejada had the best shot. Tejada, though, did not extend his glove far enough to make the play.

The ball fell just inside the chalk and went into the stands for a ground-rule double. Jeter scored to tie the game 5-5.

“I was basically lucky,” Matsui said.

Next came Sierra, who needed no luck. Kline served up a fastball right down the middle. Sierra nailed a no-doubt-about it three-run bomb to left-center that broke the tie.

“It was an absolute missile,” Kline said.

The demonstrative Kline also used a couple of more descriptive words – not fit for print – to describe the shot, saying it went 600 feet. It didn’t go that far, but it went far enough to make Chen’s outing a waste and push Johnson into a no-decision.

Seventh-inning stretch

Trailing the Orioles, 5-3, in the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees scored five runs, helped by Miguel Tejada’s misplay of Hideki Matsui’s blooper down the left-field line.

Here’s a look at the inning:

Bernie Williams struck out.

Tony Womack walked.

Derek Jeter singled to center; Womack to second.

Alex Rodriguez flew out to center; Womack to third.

Gary Sheffield singled to center; Womack scored, Jeter to second.

Hideki Matsui hit ground-rule double to left (pictured); Jeter scored, Sheffield to third.

Ruben Sierra homered to left-center; Sheffield, Matsui and Sierra scored.

Jorge Posada walked.

Jason Giambi to second on error; Posada to third.

Bernie Williams popped out to second.

5 runs, 4 hits, 1 error

Yankees 8, Orioles 5