Orioles and Yankees stumble into AL East showdown series

The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have a lot in common.

Not everything has been good lately, but the teams open a three-game series in Baltimore on Friday with two of the four best records in the major leagues.

The Orioles are in first place in the American League East, two games ahead of the second-place Yankees.

Still, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said, “We have to play much better in the future.”

The Yankees are in free fall, losing 18 of their last 25 games, but they could hold the division lead until the All-Star break, depending on the outcome of the weekend series.

“We have to take care of our own business,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We have to move in the right direction now. That’s our focus.”

The Orioles have recently suffered three consecutive home losses against the Chicago Cubs; the series ended on Thursday with an 8-0 defeat.

“We just haven’t done much in this series,” Hyde said.

Baltimore did not concede a goal in the final two games of the series and had 0 of 16 runners in scoring position.

The Yankees have lost two of three games in Tampa Bay this week, including a 5-4 loss to the Rays on Thursday. New York was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position until there were two outs in the ninth inning, but Ben Rice’s RBI single wasn’t enough.

New York has not won any of its last eight series and is now 0-7-1.

Yankees hitter Aaron Judge has struck out 2 of 15 batters in his last four games and has not hit a home run in his last eight games.

“We also need to be able to pick him up on certain evenings,” Boone said.

The starting pitchers scheduled for Friday both have an ERA of over 6.00.

Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (1-1, 6.75 ERA) is making his fifth start after beginning the season on the injured list. The six-time All-Star and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has lasted between four and five innings in each of his appearances this season.

Cole made his first appearance of the year on June 19 at home against the Orioles, allowing two runs on three hits in four innings. He is 5-3 with a 2.64 ERA in 13 career starts against Baltimore.

Rookie left-hander Cade Povich (1-3, 6.51) is off to a disastrous start and is now the Orioles’ starter, pitching more than one inning and allowing eight runs on five hits and three walks in a loss to the Oakland A’s on Saturday.

Last month, Povich went 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out five in his third career game on June 19. Baltimore won that game in New York, 7-6, in 10 innings.

The Orioles had good news off the field on Thursday when Anthony Santander was named to the AL All-Star roster as a replacement for Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin), giving Baltimore five selections for next week’s showcase.

“This guy has been with us all this way and it’s great to see him getting recognition. And it will be fun to see him on national television,” Hyde said.

–Field level media