Baltimore @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2014 ) Baltimore 6, NY Yankees 1

New York's Masahiro Tanaka tries to continue the dominating start to his career when the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in the rubber match of their three-game series. "I don't think it's fair to expect this from anyone - I don't care what your stuff is," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters after Tanaka won his major league-leading 11th game Tuesday and has emerged as the favorite to be named American League starter in next month's All-Star Game. "I don't care if you throw 110. What he's done is remarkable. ..." Baltimore counters with Chris Tillman, who is 5-0 with a 6.33 ERA in nine road starts this season.

The Orioles belted four home runs - increasing their major league-leading total on the road to 51 - in Saturday's 6-1 victory, but one was particularly special. Shortstop J.J. Hardy, who recorded a 30-home run season and four 20-homer campaigns in his career, had gone 87 games without one before going deep in the eighth inning. Baltimore left fielder Steve Pearce also homered Saturday and is 8-for-16 in his last four games with two homers, seven RBIs and four runs scored.

TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (5-4, 4.82 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (11-1, 1.99)

Tillman, who makes his 100th career start (37-29, 4.36 ERA), allowed three runs and eight hits while not walking or striking out a batter in seven innings of a 5-2 loss to Toronto last Sunday to extend his winless streak to three starts. The 26-year-old California native's last road outing did not go well as he yielded five runs and six hits in one inning of an 8-6 loss to Texas on June 5. Tillman is 4-4 with a 6.70 ERA in 10 starts against New York - 2-3, 9.62 in six turns at Yankee Stadium.

Tanaka sports the lowest ERA in the American League after allowing one run and five hits while striking out 10 in six innings of a 3-1 victory over Toronto on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Japan native, who struck out 113 and walked 16 while sporting a 0.95 WHIP and .216 batting average against this season, has recorded a quality start in all 14 of his turns. The Yankees have split Tanaka's two no-decisions, including a 5-4 loss to Baltimore on April 9 when he yielded three runs in seven innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Sunday is Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium and Hall of Fame reliever Goose Gossage will be presented with a Monument Park plaque as part of the ceremonies. Former New York first baseman Tino Martinez on Saturday received his plaque during pre-game festivities.

2. Baltimore LF Nelson Cruz has 23 home runs - tied for the major league lead with Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion - and has 60 RBIs, two fewer than Encarnacion.

3. The Yankees are 16-3 when leading after one inning and 23-31 in all other games.

PREDICTION: Yankees 3, Orioles 2