The New York Yankees will arrive in Baltimore today with a three-game advantage in the loss column over the Red Sox and the Rays. At 17-11, the first-place Yanks hold a 6.5 game lead over your last-place Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees won more games yesterday than Baltimore managed over the last week. New York swept a doubleheader against Toronto, while the O’s failed to score in the final of three defeats in Detroit.
There’s a chance that this weekend represented rock bottom, but things could get a lot worse. Baltimore’s rotation blues have been the story early in the season, but the offense has descended to the same level. Perhaps a visit from their hated rivals will provide a jolt of energy into a team that has looked lost on a routine basis. One can hope.
Tyler O’Neill will not play in the series after being placed on the injured list with a neck injury. Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg all missed Sunday’s game with lingering issues, but the Birds hope to have all three available against New York.
Game 1: Monday, April 28, 6:35, MASN
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1, 3.54 ERA) vs. RHP Will Warren (0-1, 4.79 ERA)
Tomoyuki Sugano has done his part for the Orioles in the month of April. With the rotation reeling, and the bullpen overworked, Sugano turned in consecutive seven-inning starts for Brandon Hyde. The 35-year-old earned his second victory of the season by holding Cleveland to two runs, and he did not receive a decision his last time out with three runs allowed in Washington.
Sugano deserves plenty of credit for those performances, but the advanced numbers do not exactly project future success. The righty ranks in the bottom 10 percent of baseball with an expected ERA of 6.06. Hitters hold an expected batting average of .310 and an expected slugging of .572.
Expected numbers do not always hold water over a small sample size, but Sugano’s less than intimidating stuff is still cause for concern. His whiff percentage sits at a a lowly 15.4 percent, and his 9 strikeouts on the season put his K% in the bottom 1 percent in the league.
The Orioles offense should have an opportunity to break out against RHP Will Warren. Warren has been below average this season with an 83 ERA+. He has yet to pitch more than five innings, so Baltimore will need to do some damage against a respectable New York bullpen (3.20 bullpen ERA).
Game 2: Tuesday, April 29, 6:35, MASN
TBD vs. LHP Carlos Rodon (3-3, 3.50 ERA)
The Orioles have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday’s game, but Kyle Gibson represents the betting favorite. Baltimore signed Gibson to a one-year, $5.25 million deal to shore up its pitching depth in March. Gibson required a ramp up period after missing spring training, but his contract required a promotion by the end of the month. The 37-year-old may not inject youth into Baltimore’s rotation, but he’s still a sight for sore eyes.
Gibson was a league-average pitcher (98 ERA+) for St. Louis last season. He posted a 15-9 record while completing 192 innings for the Orioles in 2023.
Baltimore’s struggles against lefties have been well documented this season. Rodón holds a 3.50 ERA this year, but Gary Sánchez and Jorge Mateo have a way of making southpaws look like Sandy Koufax this year.
Game 3: Wednesday, April 30, 6:35, Amazon Prime/MASN
LHP Cade Povich (1-2, 5.04 ERA) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 5.26 ERA)
Cade Povich took a step in the right direction with 6.2 innings of one-run ball against Washington last week. The strong start led Baltimore to its only victory since Easter. Povich has the stuff to keep hitters off balance, but the 25-year-old needs a stretch of consistent outings to demonstrate growth during his sophomore season.
Carrasco is still hanging around at age 38. The veteran turned in his best outing of the year on Friday with five shutout innings against the Jays. Carrasco may not carry the same reputation that he once held in Cleveland, but he has avoided the meltdowns that 41-year-old Charlie Morton has turned in for Baltimore this year.
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