Yanks try to stave off sweep by Orioles
Superior starting pitching hasn’t exactly been a hallmark of the Orioles’ 2016 season. This weekend, however, the arms are leading the way vs. the Yankees.
Buck Showalter’s club, which trails first-place Toronto by only two games in the American League East, will try to complete a sweep of New York this afternoon. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv list Baltimore as a 1.5-run favorite. Joe Girardi’s troops, on the other hand, are considered +113 underdogs. The over/under run figure checks in at nine.
Dylan Bundy set the tone in Friday’s series opener, firing 5 2/3 scoreless frames for the O’s. Kevin Gausman then followed with six spotless frames last night. Gary Sanchez and the Yanks’ offense were anything but dormant during a 17-1 August, but even the rookie catcher’s beginning to see how hard life in the majors can be. After storming onto the scene with 11 homers in his first 77 at-bats, the 23-year-old is hitting just .190 over his past five contests.
The task of keeping Sanchez in check now falls to Wade Miley. Since arriving from the Mariners on July 31, the veteran is only 1-3 with a 7.14 ERA. He owns a 0-2 record with a 1.36 WHIP in five career appearances against New York.
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For the Bronx Bombers, Girardi tabs Michael Pineda. With injuries currently putting the rotation in a state of flux, the team really needs the former top prospect to venture deep into the finale. Considering the Orioles’ recent roll, however, we wouldn’t advise shying away from them now.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: YANKEES/ORIOLES OVER 9 RUNS