Orioles at Yankees (Game 1)
The New York Yankees are running away with the American League East in part because of their success this season against the team at the bottom of the division - the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees will try to continue setting records when they host the Orioles in a doubleheader on Monday.
New York crushed the Orioles by a combined 32-12 in a three-game series at Baltimore last week and set a record with 16 home runs in the three-game set. The Yankees own 52 home runs in the first 15 games against the Orioles, breaking the major league record of 48 set by the 1956 Yankees against the Kansas City Athletics, and have seen 11 different players record multiple-homer games in the season series, helping them open an 8 1/2-game lead in the East over the Tampa Bay Rays. Baltimore's pitching staff bottomed out during a 23-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday before the team recovered with a come-from-behind 8-7 triumph in the series finale, capped by Rio Ruiz's walk-off homer. The Orioles needed to use five relievers to pull off the win on Sunday and will go into Monday's doubleheader with a heavily-taxed bullpen behind day game starter Gabriel Ynoa and a spot starter while the Yankees counter with James Paxton in the day game and an opener in the nightcap.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Gabriel Ynoa (1-6, 5.57 ERA) vs. Yankees LH James Paxton (7-6, 4.40)
Ynoa returned to the rotation against the Yankees last Monday and was knocked around for four runs - three earned - and five hits over 4 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision. The 26-year-old yielded a total of one earned run in 10 innings over his previous five appearances. Ynoa is up to 85 hits - 15 home runs - allowed in a total of 76 innings this season.
Paxton pulled out of a slump with quality starts in his last two outings, including a win at Baltimore on Wednesday. The veteran Canadian breezed through 6 2/3 innings in that start, scattering a run and five hits while striking out seven in a game New York won 14-2. Paxton surrendered a total of three runs over 12 2/3 innings in his last two starts after allowing 14 runs - 11 earned - in 7 1/3 frames in the previous two outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees placed LHP Stephen Tarpley (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.
2. Baltimore 1B Chris Davis struck out four times on Sunday to push his season total to 118 in 256 at-bats.
3. New York RHP Dellin Betances (shoulder) is expected to throw in the bullpen on Monday.