In eight games against the Yankees this season, the Orioles are 2-6 while being outscored 29-52. Their series last week in New York was cut short because of rain, with the first two games postponed and the Yankees taking both games of the doubleheader this past Wednesday.
It’s a tale of opposites with these two teams. The Yanks are 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Orioles are 2-8. For the year, the Yankees have a +48 run differential. The Orioles — who reside in the AL East cellar — are 13.5 games behind first place New York and carry a -95 run differential.
As a team this year, the O’s are slashing .227/.283/.344 against the Yankees pitching staff. Meanwhile, New York is hitting .290/.388/.583 against Baltimore, which gives the Birds’ pitching staff a 6.65 ERA and 1.739 WHIP in their interactions. The Yanks have also hit 23 home runs in eight games against the Orioles.
The Yankees have been without some very important players for awhile now, including Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Luis Severino, to name a few. But somehow they are able to plug and play new guys without missing a beat. They’re not just treading water while they wait for the big boys to get healthy; they’re in first place in the AL East, a half game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and 4.5 ahead of Boston. The O’s have a tall order ahead of them in this four-game set.
Game 1: Monday, 7:05 PM
LHP J.A. Happ (3-3, 4.44 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Cashner (4-2, 4.10 ERA)
In 23 career games against the Orioles, including 22 starts, Happ is 8-7 with a 3.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 4.03 SO/W. In nine career starts at Camden Yards, the left-hander is 3-2 with a 3.62 ERA 1.22 WHIP and 4.58 SO/W. But in three games against the Birds this year, Happ has allowed nine runs in 13.2 innings.
Veteran right-hander Andrew Cashner has been one of the Orioles’ most consistent starters in 2019. His most recent start was last Wednesday in the O’s-Yanks doubleheader, when he took a hard luck loss after allowing two runs over six innings. He’ll look to get some home cooking going in the series opener, seeing as he’s got a 2.45 ERA at Camden Yards this year versus 5.10 on the road.
Game 2: Tuesday, 7:05 PM
RHP Domingo German (8-1, 2.50 ERA) vs. RHP David Hess (1-5, 5.58 ERA)
Two starts ago, Hess allowed three runs over four innings and in his last start he allowed five runs (four earned) in six innings against the Yankees. He will look to get back on track in game two of this series. At the start of play Monday, Hess was tied for the league lead in home runs allowed (14) with Corbin Burnes of the Brewers and Trevor Cahill of the Angels. So it will be interesting to see if he can keep the ball in the yard in his fourth appearance this year against the Yanks.
German leads the Yankees pitching staff in wins on the year, and it’s not even close. The 26-year-old has been a pleasant surprise for the Yanks in his third year. His rookie year in 2017 he had a 3.14 ERA in seven relief appearances, and last year he had a 5.57 ERA in 21 games, including 14 starts. He’s carrying a .179 BAA and 0.95 WHIP with 52 strikeouts in 50.1 innings so far in 2019.
Game 3: Wednesday, 7:05 PM
TBD vs. TBD
Game 4: Thursday, 12:35 PM
TBD vs. TBD
Poll
How many games will the Orioles win in this series against the Yankees?
This poll is closed
-
4%
Four
-
1%
Three
-
14%
Two
-
46%
One
-
32%
None