Orioles to snap skid, reclaim AL East lead over Yankees

Heading into Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles were three games ahead of the New York Yankees in the American League East, aiming to extend their lead before the All-Star break.

However, the Orioles have now dropped five consecutive games, struggling to score, and are now tied with the Yankees. They will conclude their three-game series on Sunday in Baltimore, with the winner taking a one-game lead into the break.

 

 

This series loss to an AL East team is the Orioles’ first since April 2023, matching their longest losing streak of the season. They’ve only scored four runs in the last five games, despite having seven players with double-digit home runs and leading the majors with 147 homers.

“We’ve scored a lot this year, but not lately,” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. “We still have confidence in our offense and believe we’ll bounce back soon.”

Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle aims to revitalize the offense on Sunday and use the upcoming break to reset for the season’s second half.

New York’s Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 6-1 victory.

“For our top hitters to extend the lead was crucial,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Judge’s homer, his 34th, set a record for the most before the All-Star break by a Yankee.

The Yankees also won Friday’s game 4-1.

Sunday’s starting pitchers are Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (9-7, 4.63 ERA) and Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.42 ERA).

Rodon, currently on a five-game losing streak, aims to join Luis Gil as the second Yankees pitcher in two days to reach ten wins. He hasn’t won since June 10 and has allowed 28 runs (27 earned) in his last 23 innings. Rodon lost 7-2 to the Orioles on May 2, giving up seven runs (six earned) in four innings. He holds an 0-3 record and 5.74 ERA in 26 2/3 innings against Baltimore over his career.

Kremer won against the Yankees on April 30, allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings. In his career, he is 3-3 with a 4.70 ERA in ten starts against them.

Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list after being hit by a pitch on Friday, leading to a benches-clearing incident.

“He didn’t feel well after batting practice,” Hyde explained. “He passed all tests but felt worse as the day went on.”

Another outfielder, Austin Hays, left Saturday’s game due to hip soreness, but Hyde indicated it was precautionary and Hays might play in the series finale.

After Sunday, the teams will meet only once more this season, for a three-game series from September 24-26 in New York. The Orioles currently lead the season series 5-4.