Baltimore @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 27, 2013 ) NY Yankees 11, Baltimore 8

The New York Yankees will be well-rested when they begin a six-game homestand on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, who have won two straight following three straight losses. The Yankees were rained out in Cleveland for the second consecutive day on Thursday, but CC Sabathia will stay on his regular schedule and get the start on Friday. Phil Hughes, who was set to start on Thursday, will work out of the bullpen over the weekend before starting Tuesday against Arizona.

First baseman Chris Davis has been the top story in Baltimore, but center fielder Adam Jones is also off to a hot start. Davis blasted his sixth home run on Thursday in a 3-2 win over Boston, and Jones knocked in the go-ahead run with a double in the seventh. Jones has hit safely in all nine games to start the season and is batting .462 (18 for 39) with 10 RBIs. New York’s hottest hitter is second baseman Robinson Cano, who has seven hits in his last 10 at-bats.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (Baltimore), MY9 (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (1-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (1-1, 3.00 ERA)

Gonzalez’s scheduled start was pushed back two days to Friday in order to keep Jake Arrieta and Chris Tillman on their regular schedules. The move also allows Gonzalez to face the Yankees, who struggled against the 28-year-old last season. Gonzalez was 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA at Yankee Stadium in the regular season last year and allowed one run in seven innings in Game 3 of the American League Division Series in New York. Gonzalez made his season debut against the Rays last Thursday, giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Sabathia turned in a stellar performance in last Sunday’s 7-0 victory over Detroit, throwing seven shutout innings and striking out four while allowing four hits. He held Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez hitless in nine at-bats before leaving after throwing 114 pitches. Jones is 14-for-41 (.341) with three home runs and 10 RBIs against Sabathia, who is 16-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 25 career starts against the Orioles. He’s 33-12 with a 3.04 ERA in 61 starts at Yankee Stadium since joining the team in 2009.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira, who has been on the disabled list since March 31 with a right wrist injury, hopes to be cleared to begin swinging a bat as early as Friday.

2. The Orioles have scored 22 of their 49 runs this season in the final three innings.

3. The Yankees are 4-0 when scoring first and 0-4 when the opposition scores first.

PREDICTION: Yankees 4, Orioles 2