Baltimore @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 15, 2014 ) NY Yankees 1, Baltimore 2

The Baltimore Orioles still don’t have the offense humming along like they hoped but at least the pitching appears to be rounding into form. The Orioles will attempt to put together back-to-back victories for the first time this season when they continue their road trip at the New York Yankees on Monday. Baltimore scored only five of its 13 runs in Detroit prior to the ninth inning but got a strong performance from Chris Tillman to avoid a sweep on Sunday.

The Yankees will be enjoying their home opener after splitting a six-game road trip through Houston and Toronto. New York went 46-35 in its own stadium last season and will kick off Derek Jeter’s farewell tour by having him catch the first pitch alongside Jorge Posada from Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. Jeter is hoping that nostalgia is not the only thing carrying him through this season, and new acquisitions Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran will try to send the captain out with another World Series ring as they take aim at the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (0-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (0-1, 3.00)

Jimenez was knocked around by the Boston Red Sox in his Baltimore debut last week, surrendering four runs and five hits while walking three over six innings to absorb the loss. The 30-year-old Dominican Republic native made one start against New York last season and was beaten up for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Jimenez has surrendered a pair of home runs to Beltran and one to McCann from his time in the National League.

Kuroda was let down by his offense in Houston last week, absorbing the loss despite allowing only two runs and three hits in six innings. The 39-year-old went 91 pitches in that start and figures to be kept below 100 as the Yankees try to keep him healthy for the entire season. Kuroda went 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts against the Orioles last season but has been hit hard by slugger Chris Davis (5-for-18 with two homers and five RBIs) in the past.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Yankees took 10 of the 19 meetings between the division rivals last season.

2. Baltimore C Matt Wieters hit his first homer on Sunday and has hit safely in each of his five games.

3. New York LF Brett Gardner hit the team’s first home run on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Yankees 5