Orioles at Yankees (Game 1)
Mother Nature hasn't been a friend of the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, delaying the starts of their final games of their respective previous series before washing out the first two contests of this set in the Bronx. The American League East rivals look to squeeze in a single-admission doubleheader on Wednesday, with the weather forecast calling for clear skies.
New York and Baltimore were unable to take the field on Monday as rain and wet field conditions forced the game to be postponed and set up a doubleheader for Wednesday. Tuesday's tilt was called off approximately 90 minutes before game time, with that contest to be made up as part of a split-admission doubleheader on Aug. 12 at Yankee Stadium. New York, which hosts Tampa Bay next weekend, took two of three at Tropicana Field, including a 7-1 triumph on Sunday that featured a home run by Thairo Estrada, two RBIs from Gio Urshela and two runs scored by Mike Tauchman - three players who weren't in the team's plans on Opening Day. The Orioles, who have been rained out five times this season, avoided a three-game sweep and snapped a four-game slide with a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in which they belted four home runs.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH David Hess (1-4, 5.50 ERA) vs. Yankees LH J.A. Happ (2-3, 4.36)
Hess took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on April 1 but failed to complete six innings in any of his next six outings. The 25-year-old was reached for three runs on three hits - two homers - in four innings against Boston on May 7 and surrendered 10 home runs in his last 26 frames. Hess worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen against New York on Opening Day but was knocked around for four runs on five hits - three homers - at home against the Yankees in a five-inning start on April 7.
Happ hopes to ride the momentum of a strong start on Thursday, as he allowed just one hit and struck out a season-high seven batters over five scoreless innings in a 3-1 win versus Seattle. The 36-year-old obviously kept the ball in the park in that contest, but he surrendered three homers in a pair of meetings with Baltimore earlier this year. Happ permitted four runs and five hits - including two homers - in four innings of a 7-5 setback on March 31 before coming away with a no-decision the following week after working 4 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees activated CF Aaron Hicks (back) from the injured list on Monday but placed 3B Miguel Andujar (labrum), who was 1-for-27 over his last seven games, and RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (shoulder) on the 10-day IL.
2. Baltimore has yet to make an official announcement, but LHP Josh Rogers was scratched from Tuesday's start with Triple-A Norfolk and could serve as the 26th man for the second game of the doubleheader.
3. New York optioned Tauchman to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday while recalling RHP Chance Adams and LHP Nestor Cortes Jr. from the RailRiders.