Orioles 6

Yankees 5

The Yankees died 90 feet short of extra innings last night, and one hit short of a thrilling comeback victory. But, some might argue, the game was lost 60 feet, 6 inches from the plate a few innings earlier by a shaky Chien-Ming Wang.

Hideki Matsui was frozen for strike three on a full-count slider by Baltimore closer Chris Ray with the bases loaded in the ninth, and the Bombers fell, 6-5, in a gloriously heart-wrenching fashion.

“That was unbelievable,” Alex Rodriguez said of the shocking ending, in which Matsui was metaphorically knocked over with a feather. “I couldn’t believe it was a 3-2 slider. That situation, bases loaded, runners are going. They deserve it.”

The Yankees’ thrilling rally in the ninth began with Derek Jeter’s one-out walk. Gary Sheffield singled to center, but Rodriguez was eliminated on a 96 mph fastball that he couldn’t catch up with.

“He’s throwing 96-97, and he’s got good stuff,” A-Rod said. “He throws his whole body at you, and the ball jumps pretty good.”

Matsui came up following a four-pitch walk to Jason Giambi that juiced the bases. He worked the count full but stood hopelessly as Ray’s slider floated over the outside part of the plate to end the game.

The Bombers (7-8) dropped the opener of their nine-game homestand.

“I took it because I thought it was a ball,” Matsui said through an interpreter. “I wasn’t expecting a [certain] pitch.”

When manager Joe Torre was asked whether he thought the borderline pitch was a strike, he unhappily replied that he couldn’t tell.

Ray explained his choice by saying, “I hadn’t had much success with my fastball that inning.”

At times, Baltimore couldn’t get the ball out of the infield off Wang. At other times, Wang pretty much beat himself.

Wang’s baffling inconsistency continued through his fourth start. He allowed one earned run over seven innings in his last start in Minnesota, but was charged with six earned runs in 51/3 innings last night.

The 26-year-old took the hill in the sixth with a one-run lead, and he hit the showers trailing before the inning was over.

“It’s frustrating [to watch the inconsistency], because you know how devastating he could be,” Rodriguez said. “And you’re talking to opposing players when you get to third base, and they kind of marvel at how good his stuff is.

“When he puts it together, he’s going to be a force for us.”

Seven of the first nine batters grounded out against the sinkerballer. And then he momentarily lost his control with a pair of two-out walks in the third. When both men scored, that probably cost him a victory.

Wang (1-1) said he lost his arm slot, and Torre noted that he didn’t seem as comfortable from the stretch.

“He’s still young,” Torre cautioned. “Let’s not get too impatient with him. He lost his zone.”

Robinson Cano tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth with a towering two-run bomb just inside the right-field line off former Met Kris Benson (2-2).

But Baltimore tacked on three runs in the sixth as Wang allowed four hits. Kevin Millar’s two-run single to right chased Wang, and reliever Scott Proctor plated another run on a bases-loaded, two-out walk to Nick Markakis.

In the eighth, the Bombers closed within a run on back-to-back one-out doubles by Matsui and Jorge Posada off reliever LaTroy Hawkins. That set up the thrilling conclusion, where the vaunted Yankees offense fell one run short.

“That’s where we want to be, though,” A-Rod said. “We’ll take those chances and take those opportunities again.”