The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are set to face off in a three-game series in Baltimore, with both teams holding impressive records in the major leagues. The Orioles currently sit at the top of the American League East, two games ahead of the second-place Yankees.
Despite their success, both teams are facing challenges. The Yankees have been struggling recently, losing 18 of their past 25 games. However, they still have the chance to take the division lead by the All-Star break depending on the outcome of the upcoming series.
On the other hand, the Orioles are coming off a tough series against the Chicago Cubs, where they were shut out in the final two games and struggled with runners in scoring position. Manager Brandon Hyde acknowledged the team’s need to improve moving forward.
The Yankees, led by manager Aaron Boone, are also looking to turn things around after a string of series losses. Slugger Aaron Judge has been struggling at the plate, going 2-for-15 in his last four games and without a home run in his past eight games.
The pitching matchup for the series opener features Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole and Orioles rookie left-hander Cade Povich, both of whom have ERAs over 6.00. Cole, a six-time All-Star and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, will be making his fifth start of the season after coming off the injured list.
Povich, coming off a rough outing against the Oakland A’s, will be looking to bounce back against the Yankees. Despite his struggles, Povich had a solid performance against the Yankees last month, giving up just one run in 4 2/3 innings.
Off the field, the Orioles received some good news as outfielder Anthony Santander was added to the AL All-Star roster as a replacement for Kyle Tucker of the Houston Astros. This brings the Orioles’ total All-Star selections to five, a testament to the team’s success this season.
As the two teams prepare to face off in Baltimore, both the Yankees and Orioles will be looking to get back on track and secure a crucial series win. The outcome of this series could have significant implications for the division standings as the All-Star break approaches.
