New York @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2018 ) NY Yankees 7, Baltimore 5

Neither Luke Voit nor Zach Britton was a member of the New York Yankees just over a month ago, but both answered the call for their new team Friday to avoid falling below .500 against the team with the worst record in the majors. After closing the gap in the division standings in the series opener, the Yankees will try to gain some more ground in the American League East on Saturday when they look to sweep a doubleheader against the host Baltimore Orioles.

Voit struggled in limited action since he was acquired from St. Louis on July 29, but he carried the offense in Friday's 7-5 comeback victory, finishing 3-for-5 with a pair of homers - including an insurance two-run blast in the 10th inning. Britton surrendered a solo shot to former teammate Chris Davis in the bottom of the frame but was able to close the game out for his first save as a Yankee - in place of the injured Aroldis Chapman - since arriving from Baltimore on July 24. New York (80-47), which improved to 7-6 against the Orioles in 2018, maintained its four-game lead over Oakland for the first wild-card slot while moving within 8 1/2 games of East-leading Boston. Davis and Jonathan Villar each had three hits and combined to drive in all five runs for Baltimore (37-91), which lost for the 12th time in 14 contests.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH J.A. Happ (14-6, 3.84 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jimmy Yacabonis (0-1, 6.75)

Happ beat the team that traded him last month in his last outing, striking out eight over 5 1/3 innings while giving up two solo homers against Toronto on Sunday. The Northwestern product has won each of his four starts with New York since his departure from Toronto on July 26, posting a 2.22 ERA over that span. Tim Beckham (5-for-17, one homer) is one of the few Orioles who has fared well against Happ, who is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts versus Baltimore this season.

Yacabonis will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to make his fourth career big-league start and first since giving up three runs over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Boston on Aug. 11. The 26-year-old is 3-4 with a 3.93 ERA in 20 starts with the Tides this season after yielding one run in five frames on Aug. 18 in his only outing since his demotion. Yacabonis' previous major-league turn came July 9 versus the Yankees, against whom he allowed three runs over five innings in a no-decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York needed only 127 games to reach 80 wins, matching the club's best pace since 2002.

2. Baltimore rookie OF Cedric Mullins is batting .375 in seven career home games.

3. With his next start in the outfield, INF/OF Neil Walker will become the first Yankee to start at least 10 games at four different positions in a season since Randy Velarde in 1995.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Orioles 2