The Baltimore Orioles are set to wrap up their three-game series against the New York Yankees tomorrow evening. The match, scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET in New York, comes after a strong performance by the Orioles, who entered this series after a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Orioles, who had a surprising 2022 season, are currently ranked second in the AL East. Their offense, led by players like Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins has been successful this season, ranking 13th, ninth, and ninth in the majors respectively in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
Starting for the Orioles is right-hander Tyler Wells, who currently holds a record of 3-1 and a 2.94 ERA. Wells is making his 9th start of the season. With a 0.79 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9 and 8.0 K/9 over 52 innings across 9 games, Wells has shown promise. Despite this, he has allowed 9 runs over his last 11 innings against the Yankees. Current Yankees batters have an aggregate .579 OPS against him.
The Yankees, on the other hand, have had a somewhat slow start to the season with their offense, ranking 22nd in both batting average and on-base percentage. Key players to watch include DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge despite mixed performance records against Orioles' pitcher Kyle Gibson.
The Yankees will be starting with left-hander Nestor Cortes. Cortes, with a record of 4-2 and a 5.21 ERA, is making his 10th start. He has a 1.28 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 8.9 K/9 over 48 1/3 innings. Cortes has been particularly effective against the Orioles, boasting a 0.90 ERA over his last five starts against them. Furthermore, he has maintained a 2.57 ERA and 0.95 WHIP at home since 2021.
Looking at the game ahead, the Orioles are considered underdogs, but predictions lean towards them pulling off a win against the Yankees. This is mainly due to Schmidt's previous struggles against the Orioles, as well as the Yankees' inconsistent lineup performance this season. Moreover, the game is expected to be high-scoring, with an over/under of nine runs, as recent performances of both teams suggest a potential for plenty of runs to be scored.