Boy, what a slog that last week was. The Yankees barely escaped the ignominy of a four-game sweep at the hands of the Angels following a scoreless innings streak from their offense which ranks as one of the longest in franchise history. They’ll try to end their homestand on a more cheerful note as they welcome the cellar-dwelling Orioles to town for a three-game set.
Enough ink has been spilled on the disastrous season the O’s are having, particularly on the pitcher’s mound. So I’ll spare you all the gory details and note that Baltimore, not New York, took the first meeting between these squads at the end of April. It was a weird trio of games: the Yankees obliterated the Orioles 15-3 in between a pair of frustrating one-run losses. With any luck that 15-run version of the Bombers returns in force for this weekend series, though Baltimore is a little healthier now and has played better under interim skipper Tony Mansolino.
Max Fried continues to do no wrong. The Yankee pitching staff has hummed along brilliantly even during the now-snapped six-game losing streak, and Fried’s tough-luck loss in Boston on Sunday was among the better performances the offense wasted. He pitched seven innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts but was outdueled by Brayan Bello, who provided the first seven zeroes of an eventual 30-inning scoring drought. This will be Fried’s first matchup with Baltimore on the season—maybe we can dream on a performance like his first time facing them: a complete-game, 90-pitch shutout he tossed back in 2021.
The Orioles will start veteran Tomoyuki Sugano in the series opener. Sugano has been their lone bright spot in the rotation, but a staff ace he is not—as his 4.70 FIP hints towards. The two-time Sawamura Award winner is a command artist with one of the league’s lowest strikeout rates but also one of its lowest walk rates. He employs a six-pitch mix which allows him to stay unpredictable and avoid loud contact. The Yanks saw him back in April and could not get on the board against him across five innings. Maybe second blush will bring better results.
It’s Aaron Judge Superman Bobblehead Night at Yankee Stadium, which turned out to be awkwardly-timed. The Yankee captain has gone 4-for-31 with 18 strikeouts over his past nine games, but has generally had little trouble hitting Oriole pitching. He starts in the outfield alongside Trent Grisham and Jasson Domínguez with Giancarlo Stanton at DH. Sugano has reverse splits, hence why Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice will sit against the righty tonight.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only)
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY); 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM (BAL)
Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market)
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