O's-Yankee Match-up

Until Sunday's game, no Orioles starter had recorded a victory. The Orioles have fallen to a division low record of 2-4 after playing the World Series Champion Red Sox and the AL Runners-ur Tigers.

It doesn't get any easier going into New York for a three game series which includes being part of the Opening Day festivities for the Yankees. The crowd will loud and definitely anti-Orioles.

Despite this, the three game series will come down to three things: pitching, hitting, and defense. The Orioles have the advantage in all three categories.

The Orioles are expected to send Jiminez (0-1, 6.00), Chen (0-1, 6.35), and Gonzales (0-1, 18.90) to the mound to face the Yankee rotation of Kuroda (0-1, 3.00), Nova (1-0, 3.18), and Tanaka (1-0, 2.57).

The stats do not look good, but the Orioles are coming off six games against two of the highest powered teams in baseball. The Yankees are coming off series against two of the worst teams in the AL last year: Houston and Toronto.

The key to the series will be for the Orioles starters to follow up on Chris Tillman's eight inning outing on Sunday and keep the relievers in the bullpen. Weather will also play a factor. The first two games will begin at 1:05 PM EDT, while the Wednesday game will start at 7:05 PM EDT.

The Orioles hitters are finally coming around after getting two runs of Detroit's Verlander on Sunday, the trend seems positive. If they can sustain rally's and get the big bats rolling: Jones, Davis, and Cruz to bring across runs set up by Markakis leading off and Lough or whomever is batting second, they will do fine against Yankee pitching. Davis especially needs a strong series after going 4-12 with 1 homer  in Detroit. At least he will be facing three righty starters in a row which should be exactly the right medicine to get him untracked. Should Davis get rolling, he should work well with Wieters and Lombardozzi who are both hitting more than .300 and have so far been the only bright sports in the hitting order.

I think the Orioles have found their day-to-day second baseman in Lombardozzi. He is hitting great and playing an admirable second base. AND, he is a hometown boy!

Defensively, Sunday's game where back to back plays by Lough and Markakis in the outfield demonstrated that defense can keep the Orioles in the game. The Orioles are tied for the league lead in errors with only one charged singe the season began.

I give the advantage to the Orioles ins all three categories as follows:

Pitching: expect two starter victories (Jiminez and Gonzales)

Offense: Davis starts hitting as does Jones to join Wieters and Lombardozzi.

Defense: Give two outs per game to the defense.

Prediction: Orioles win 2 of 3, the first and last games.

-- -Bob Doan