New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles: Series Preview

The Yankees and Orioles will continue to battle for the top spot in the AL East this weekend at Camden Yards, with Baltimore entering two games ahead. However, both sides find themselves playing lackluster baseball heading into the All-Star break.

Since winning two of three from the Yankees in mid-June, the Orioles have been under .500 at 8-11. The O’s are coming off a series against the Cubs in which they got swept and managed to only push across two runs. Their pitching staff has also struggled, posting a 5.81 ERA in July with similar results throughout their last 25 games. If the Orioles have shown any weakness over this mini-slump it certainly is not at shortstop. Gunnar Henderson has batted .354 with a 1.058 OPS over his last 20 games. The 23-year-old will make his first All-Star Game appearance next week when he starts at shortstop for the American League squad. Baltimore has five players representing their club at the Midsummer Classic, tied with the Cleveland Guardians for most in the American League.

Heading into today, the Yankees have lost 18 of their last 25 games. Their struggles are evident against AL East opponents, including the Orioles, and their propensity to fall behind early in games has become too common of a theme. Over their last 25 games, the Yankees have a 5.61 ERA and have surrendered 40 home runs. The Yankees need the All-Star break possibly more than any team in baseball. A series win against the Orioles could provide optimism as the first half ends, but no Yankee fan is holding their breath.

Friday: Gerrit Cole vs. Cade Povich (7:05 pm ET)

Gerrit Cole has struggled since returning from an elbow injury that sidelined him until mid-June. Cole has given up 20 hits in 17.1 innings this season. The Yankees desperately need quality outings from their ace as the starting rotation works themselves out of a tough stretch. Throwing 90 pitches in back-to-back starts would indicate that Cole is fully ramped up. In a small sample size, Cole has relied more heavily on the cutter this season compared to 2023 as he works to find more consistency with his other secondary pitches, including his slider. A solid outing against a talented Orioles offense would help temper some panic amongst Yankees fans as they head into the All-Star break.

One of the Orioles’ top prospects, Povich has made just six starts at the major league level after being called up for the first time in early June. Despite a tough first outing against Toronto, Povich found his rhythm and posted a 2.53 ERA over his next four starts. However, professional sports will humble you quickly. That is exactly what happened in the young left-hander’s last start, where a lack of fastball command early led to five hits and eight runs in just one inning of work against the Athletics. Povich will look to rebound from his tough outing against a struggling Yankees club.

Saturday: Luis Gil vs. Grayson Rodriguez (4:05 pm ET)

The sudden struggles of Luis Gil came at a poor time for a Yankees rotation that was getting peppered nightly. A collective exhale was felt when Gil shoved in his last outing against Boston, going 6.2 strong innings and only giving up one run. Gil has faced Baltimore twice this season, which perfectly mirrored the two sides we have seen from the young righty this season. On May 1st, he gave up only two hits in 6.1 innings of work, while his most recent outing against Baltimore on June 20th saw him give up seven runs over just 1.1 innings of work in a 9-3 loss. Which Gil will show up on Saturday?

Grayson Rodriguez has turned himself into a solid starting pitcher in year two of his young career after taking some lumps early on last season. He is second behind only Corbin Burnes in ERA and innings pitched for the Orioles this season. He has 105 strikeouts over 94.2 innings pitched while posting a 3.52 ERA. Rodriguez has strung together three prolific starts giving up just five runs over 19.1 innings. He faced the Yankees once this season, throwing 5.2 innings of shutout baseball back in April. His elite changeup, paired with a high-velocity fastball, keeps hitters off balance. Rodriguez is a budding ace in this league and could become a big problem for the Yankees.

Sunday: Carlos Rodón vs. Dean Kremer (11:35 am ET)

Note: The very early start time is because this game will be free on Roku in the “Sunday brunch” spot that the games on Peacock held from 2022-23.

Carlos Rodón was well on his way to a redemption season with the Yankees until, well, he wasn’t. His fastball continues to get pummeled as his command falters. Rodón has given up 15 home runs off his four-seamer this season. His last five starts are alarming and the numbers are egregious. A 10.57 ERA jumps off the screen, as do 36 hits and eight home runs in his last 23 innings pitched. Since June 10th, Rodón’s ERA has ballooned from 2.93 to 4.63. The break cannot come soon enough for Rodón, but first is a date with the Orioles to close out the first half.

Dean Kremer is fresh off a lengthy stint on the injured list with a triceps strain that kept him out of the rotation since May 20th. Kremer carries a 4.42 ERA into his matchup with the Yankees, and struggled against the Cubs in his last outing. Kremer did impress in his first start off the injured list, throwing five shutout innings against the Mariners. Overall, Kremer highlights the lack of depth in the starting rotation for the Orioles after Burnes and Rodriguez, a need that the team will look to address at the trade deadline.