New York @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 25, 2018 ) NY Yankees 10, Baltimore 3

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 lead over Oakland for the first wild-card slot at four games while moving within 8 1/2 games of AL 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: 7:05 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Sonny Gray (9-8, 5.34 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (4-11, 4.84)

Gray will return to the rotation for the first time since Aug. 1 after making four relief appearances - a stretch during which he has posted a 2.89 ERA despite giving up 12 hits and five walks over 9 1/3 innings. The Vanderbilt product is 8-8 with a 5.56 ERA in 21 starts this season and 3-1 with a 4.79 ERA in four turns against Baltimore. Gray recorded a 2.00 ERA in his first three outings versus the Orioles before they roughed him up for seven runs over 2 2/3 frames in his most recent start.

Casher has pitched against a division rival in five of his last seven starts dating back to a no-decision against the Yankees on July 10 when he was tagged for five runs over 6 1/3 innings. Over that stretch, the 31-year-old Texan has yielded two earned runs or fewer four times and at least five runs three times. Greg Bird (3-for-7) and Didi Gregorius (7-for-22) have each homered against Cashner, who is 1-1 with a 4.42 ERA in three starts versus the Yankees in 2018.

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 5, Orioles 4