Yankees vs. Orioles: A look at their first matchup of 2024
BALTIMORE – Did the Yankees’ lineup conduct a late April market correction with a 30-run weekend at Milwaukee, or is a 48-hour burst not enough to tell?
Either way, Aaron Boone’s club arrives at Camden Yards on a positive note.
Scoring 15 runs both Saturday and Sunday, the Yankees (19-10) now meet the Baltimore Orioles (17-10) in a four-game set, the first meeting between the AL East’s top teams.
2023 Yankees-Orioles recap
Last year, the Yankees went 6-7 against the Orioles, splitting the six games at Camden Yards.
Baltimore (101-61) would win the AL East by two games over the Tampa Bay Rays, finishing 19 games ahead of the Yankees (82-80), but the Orioles were swept in the AL Division Series by the eventual world champion Texas Rangers.
Yankees-Orioles pitching matchups
Monday, 6:35 p.m., YES: RHP Clarke Schmidt (2-0, 3.55) vs. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-1, 4.45).
Schmidt pitched into the sixth inning in his last start, yielding three earned runs in 5.1 innings in a win against Oakland. Rodriguez made one start against the Yanks last year, tossing 6.1 shutout innings in a no-decision at Baltimore on July 28.
Tuesday, 6:35 p.m., YES: LHP Nestor Cortes (1-2, 3.50) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (1-2, 4.61).
In his last five outings against the Orioles, the team that returned him to the Yankees in April 2018 after claiming him in the Rule 5 Draft, Cortes is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA.
Wednesday, 6:35 p.m., Amazon/MLBN: RHP Luis Gil (1-1, 4.01) vs. RHP Corbin Burnes (3-0, 2.55).
In his last start, Gil gave up his first two homers of the season and yielded five runs in five innings in a loss at Milwaukee. Through his first six starts, Burnes has been the difference maker atop the Orioles’ rotation that they traded for in February.
Thursday, 1:05 p.m., YES: LHP Carlos Rodon (2-1, 2.48) vs. TBA
Rodon’s last two outings have been very good, yielding just one run across 13 innings against Oakland and Milwaukee, with 12 strikeouts versus three walks.
How the Yankees enter this series
Over their last two games, the Yankees forced the Brewers to have a position player pitch the ninth inning.
Following Friday night’s 7-6 loss in 11 innings at Milwaukee, manager Aaron Boone elevated Alex Verdugo to the cleanup spot and he went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI.
The power was back on for Aaron Judge this weekend, going 5-for-8 with two homers, five RBI, two walks, and one controversial slide Sunday that – had it been ruled obstruction – might have altered the course of a tie game.
Gleyber Torres is still searching for his first homer of the year, but he’s 5-for-10 since Saturday with four RBI.
On Sunday, Anthony Rizzo collected his 300th career home run in a 4-for-4 game (he’s on a 7-for-8 stretch) and Anthony Volpe celebrated his 23rd birthday with a clutch three-run homer Sunday.
By Friday, the Yankees might have Jon Berti (groin strain) ready to go, improving the team’s compromised infield depth.
Berti began a minor league rehab assignment Sunday at Class AA Somerset, playing third base and going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
Also, Gerrit Cole (elbow nerve irritation) might resume throwing off a mound by the end of this week, but he’s not expected back in the Yankees rotation until possibly sometime in June.
How the Orioles enter this series
In dropping two of three weekend games to Oakland at Camden Yards, the Orioles have concerns about Craig Kimbrel.
The veteran closer blew the save in both Orioles losses and exited Sunday’s game due back tightness.
Baltimore’s bullpen might be area to strengthen before the trade deadline this summer, with Felix Bautista rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
But the Orioles could get injured starters Kyle Bradish and John Means back in their rotation by next week.
Meanwhile, top Orioles prospect Jackson Holliday, 20, was optioned back to the minors last week. It was a rough 10-game start for the second baseman, the son of former MLB slugger Matt Holliday, going 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts.
Austin Hays, who seems to get a lot of big hits against the Yanks, is on the IL. But another young Orioles prospect, Colton Cowser, has performed well in his absence.
Through 26 games (80 plate appearances), Cowser has six homers, 18 RBI and a 1.037 OPS. In 26 total games last year (77 plate appearances), Cowser had zero homers, four RBI and a .433 OPS.
As a team, the Orioles lead the AL with 44 home runs through their first 27 games.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees vs. Orioles: A look at their first matchup of 2024
