New York @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2014 ) NY Yankees 3, Baltimore 2
The New York Yankees are just barely keeping their season alive while the Baltimore Orioles are marching toward an inevitable American League East crown. The Yankees will try to stay alive in the wild card race and earn a split of the four-game set when they visit the Orioles for the finale on Sunday. New York got just enough offense to scratch out a 3-2 victory on Saturday as Chris Young continues to be a surprisingly potent addition to the lineup.
Young, who was cut by the Mets earlier in the season, is batting .400 in nine games for the Yankees and stole home after doubling on Saturday to score what turned out to be the decisive run. Baltimore pitchers have allowed four runs in the first three games of the series but the offense is not exactly lighting up the scoreboard with Chris Davis out serving a suspension. The Orioles’ magic number to clinch the AL East sits at five while the Yankees are five games back of the second wild card.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (10-9, 3.91 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (12-5, 3.36)
Kuroda had a run of four straight strong outings come to an end against Tampa Bay on Tuesday when he was knocked around for four runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. The Japan native did strike out five without walking a batter in that outing and has issued two or fewer walks in each of his last five starts. Kuroda did not factor in the decision at Baltimore on July 11 despite allowing only two runs and three hits in seven innings.
Tillman has not lost since July 12 and has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of last 18 starts. The 26-year-old went five innings at Boston to earn a win on Tuesday, yielding one run on six hits. Tillman, whose last loss came against New York, scattered two runs and five hits over seven innings in a no decision against the Yankees on August 13
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees SS Derek Jeter is hitless in his last five games.
2. Baltimore 3B Jimmy Paredes is getting the bulk of the playing time so far in place of Davis and is 4-for-8 in the series.
3. Young is 9-for-21 with seven extra-base hits - three homers - in the last five games.
PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Yankees 3