Fresh off a sweep of the Guardians, the Yankees now seek redemption against the Orioles.
It was less than two weeks ago that the Bronx Bombers visited Camden Yards and lost two of three to the perenially tanking Birds. The bats struggled to make good contact and, even worse, the Yankees outscored the Orioles 6-4 over the three games and still dropped two of them.
Now the Yankees get a quick opportunity to prove that series was a fluke. Baltimore visits the Bronx for three games after a seven-game West Coast trip. The Yankees really need to beat the Orioles if they want to keep up in the ultra-competitive AL East. They cannot afford to slip up again.
Orioles (6-10) at Yankees (10-6)
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET Tuesday and Wednesday; 1:05 p.m. ET Thursday.
TV: YES.
Probable pitching matchups (Orioles pitcher listed first):
- Tuesday: Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.52 ERA) vs. Luis Severino (1-0, 2.08 ERA)
- Wednesday: Tyler Wells (0-2, 6.75) vs. Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 2.51)
- Thursday: Bruce Zimmermann (1-0, 1.20) vs. Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.07)
Worth watching: Don’t look now, but the first piece of the Orioles’ rebuild may be coming to light. Baltimore’s arms have pitched to a 3.17 ERA so far, good for seventh in MLB. And ace John Means had Tommy John surgery and hasn’t thrown a pitch this season. Baltimore’s pitching could soon prove the real thing and make the division even more competitive.
Key matchup: Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s recent hot streak has made it easy to miss Gleyber Torres. The noted Orioles killer who also happens to be on a modest four-game hitting streak. Torres’ batting average has risen from .143 to .227 over that stretch. Could be something, could be nothing, but Torres certainly does look more comfortable hitting to all fields again. He’s batted .332 against the Orioles for his career, but was 0-for-11 at Camden Yards earlier this month. Look for him to have a chip on his shoulder since he’s still fighting for regular playing time.
X-factor: Another Yankee who needs to get going is Giancarlo Stanton, who’s in his first slump of the season and looking absolutely lost. Stanton came out hot and hit .385 with two homers over the Yankees’ first three games. Since then, he’s batting .152 and his average has plumetted to .203. The good news for the Yankees is Stanton has hit .272 with a respectable .784 OPS against Baltimore. They aren’t the Red Sox, but still a prime opportunity for Stanton to get his swing back.
Final thoughts and prediction: It was great to see the Yankees break out both bats and brooms in a three-game sweep of Cleveland. That’s the exact momentum they needed heading into this next set with the Orioles. For as strong as Baltimore’s pitching has been, the offense is batting .211 and is second-to-last in runs scored. Look for the angry Yankees to show up. Yankees get the sweep.
