BALTIMORE -- Considering the two-three format of this best-of-five series, it was imperative that the Yankees get at least one win in Baltimore to avoid returning to New York needing to sweep.

It was mission accomplished in Game 1, after their 7-2 victory over the Orioles.

"You want one, but now we are going to get greedy and ask for two," Mark Teixeira said.

Teixeira had a big game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and making a snag at first base that could have changed the entire game. In the bottom of the fifth with a man on, Lew Ford hit a swinging bunt. Russell Martin bounced out from behind the plate and made a diving throw to first. With his footing off, Martin nearly threw the ball into right field. Instead, Teixeira instinctively scooped it.

"To me, that is what I'm most proud of today," Teixeira said. "It won't be talked about much. If that ball gets by me it is second and third and nobody out. They might have a huge inning. I got a little lucky. It was a really tough play, a really tough hop."

An inning earlier, Teixeira had a big at-bat. He has struggled at the plate in postseasons past, but he nailed a near two-run homer. The ball bounced high off the right-field wall to score a run and tie the game, while Teixeira, testing his healed calf muscle, was thrown out at second base.

"It was an aggressive play," Teixeira said. "If I hit that ball 100 times, I'm going to go 100 times."

• Three extra thoughts from Sunday night's game:

1) Alex Rodriguez still doesn't look like a guy that should be hitting third in the order. He went 0-for-4 and struck out three times. I don't think Joe Girardi will move him down in the order, at least not against lefty Wei-Yin Chen in Game 2. A-Rod is 2-for-7 with a homer versus Chen. He sees lefties better.

2) CC Sabathia only needed David Robertson's help, which sets the bullpen up nicely for Andy Pettitte. Pettitte still doesn't have his legs fully back, so he may only throw around 100 pitches. The Yankees will almost definitely need the bullpen Monday night.

3) I think Eduardo Nunez will be the DH against Chen on Monday.