Orioles at Yankees
The New York Yankees look to tune up for their pivotal four-game series against a power-packed Boston club when they vie for an abbreviated two-game sweep of the depleted Baltimore Orioles (32-75) in the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon. The Yankees (68-37) have sharpened up for their upcoming set with the Red Sox by erupting for 29 runs while winning four of their last five contests.
Rookie Miguel Andujar belted a three-run homer in Tuesday's 6-3 triumph in the series opener for New York, which resides five games behind American League East-leading Boston with their four-game set looming at Fenway Park. Andujar, who is 10-for-36 with two homers, nine RBIs and six runs scored versus Baltimore this season, aims to continue his torrid stretch after going 29-for-88 with eight RBIs and 13 runs scored in July. While the Yankees improved to 31 games over .500 for the first time since the 2011 season, the Orioles' horrific campaign added another blemish as they were limited to just one inning of offense after erupting for 37 runs in their previous three games. Jace Peterson had a two-run double and scored on Andujar's error in the eighth inning, although he is 0-for-6 with two strikeouts in his career versus Wednesday starter Sonny Gray.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Alex Cobb (2-14, 6.08 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Sonny Gray (8-7, 5.08)
Cobb's disastrous season continued on Thursday as he lost his fifth straight start and fell to 0-7 with a bloated 5.96 ERA in his last nine trips to the mound after yielding four runs in six innings of a 4-3 setback to his former team, Tampa Bay. Despite his latest loss, the 30-year-old admitted to feeling "better each time out, so just keep following that path and hopefully the tide will turn." Giancarlo Stanton (1-for-8, three strikeouts) has struggled versus Cobb, who owns a 6-4 mark with a 4.26 ERA in 14 career encounters with New York.
Gray won his third straight start after scattering three hits over five scoreless innings in a 7-2 victory versus Kansas City on Thursday, but saw his outing cut short after getting struck on the right thumb by a comebacker. X-rays were negative for the 28-year-old, who -- like most teams in the majors -- has manhandled Baltimore this season. Gray improved to 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA while limiting the Orioles to a .169 batting average in three starts after striking out eight and permitting three hits over six frames in a 9-0 romp on July 11.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York SS Didi Gregorius is 16-for-40 with 12 runs scored versus Baltimore this season.
2. The Orioles acquired Jonathan Villar from Milwaukee in exchange for fellow 2B Jonathan Schoop prior to Tuesday's deadline while sending RHPs Kevin Gausman and Darren O'Day to Atlanta for four prospects and international signing bonus allotment.
3. Yankees LHP J.A. Happ, who is slated to start Saturday's game versus the Red Sox, was sent to a local hospital Tuesday afternoon and was diagnosed with a "mild" case of hand, foot and mouth disease, according to general manager Brian Cashman.