It feels like these teams have already played four games this week but it’s actually only been two
There has been so much on-field and meta-drama in the Orioles and Yankees series this week that it almost feels like they’ve played four games already. In fact, it’s only been the two, with the O’s losing the opener, 4-2, before winning in 10 innings last night, 7-6. The rubber match awaits here this afternoon.
Among the stakes in the game is the Orioles streak of series without losing one against an AL East opponent. That dates back to when they lost a series to the Yankees in April 2023. Ever since then, it’s been all wins and splits. It’s an impressive streak, tied at 21 series with the best such streak any team has ever managed in baseball’s division history. (That’s what I am pretty sure that I saw on a MASN graphic earlier in this series, anyway.)
An Orioles win would also be a big help for their hopes of eventually taking the division lead back from the Yankees. If the O’s win, they’ll be just a half game behind New York. A loss and they fall to 2.5 games back. Winning would also leave the Orioles in a strong position to end up with the head-to-head tiebreaker, in the case of the two teams finishing the regular season tied. The O’s are 4-2 against the Yankees over their first six games this season. Improving to 5-2 would be a big edge with six games left to be played between the teams before season’s end.
Orioles lineup
- Gunnar Henderson – SS
- Adley Rutschman – C
- Ryan Mountcastle – 1B
- Ryan O’Hearn – DH
- Anthony Santander – RF
- Jordan Westburg – 2B
- Cedric Mullins – CF
- Austin Hays – LF
- Ramón Urías – 3B
Westburg is back in the lineup after he was weirdly run into by Juan Soto while Westburg was fielding a ground ball on Tuesday. Hopefully this is a sign that his bruised hip is actually better and not a matter of the player and team pushing him back in the lineup when he really needs another day or two.
Cole Irvin makes the start for the Orioles today. They could sure use him going at least six innings after Albert Suárez and Cade Povich not going deep in either the previous two games, plus the game going into extra frames yesterday.
Yankees lineup
- Anthony Volpe – SS
- Juan Soto – RF
- Aaron Judge – CF
- Giancarlo Stanton – DH
- Alex Verdugo – LF
- Gleyber Torres – 2B
- DJ LeMahieu – 1B
- Jose Trevino – C
- Oswaldo Cabrera – 3B
Like Westburg, Judge has only missed one game. Based on media personality comments, it seems like the Yankees have spun themselves up into carrying a continuing grudge anyway even though it’s their pitchers who’ve done way more hitting of and throwing at Orioles batters than the reverse this year.
Making the start for the Yankees is Luis Gil. No big deal, just the AL ERA leader. Just earlier this week, the Orioles offense put some solid ERA inflation on one of the NL ERA leaders, Zack Wheeler, so perhaps they can manage to do the same to Gil. I won’t be holding my breath.