The New York Yankees will look to maintain their hot streak when they continue a four-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday after cruising to a 6-2 victory in Monday’s opener.
The Yankees, who are a major-league-best 26-9, have won 21 of their past 25 games after defeating the Orioles for the fifth time in the teams’ seven meetings this season on Monday.
The Orioles have dropped four straight games following a stretch in which they won six of eight games.
The Yankees will turn Tuesday to right-hander Jameson Taillon (3-1, 2.93 ERA), who has won his past two starts. Taillon beat Toronto twice earlier this month, collectively allowing three runs on 11 hits to go along with eight strikeouts and a walk in 11 1/3 innings.
Taillon, however, is winless in four starts all-time against the Orioles, including two this year. He gave up two runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision on April 16 before yielding two runs on seven hits during another no-decision on April 28. Baltimore won both games.
The Orioles will counter with right-hander Spenser Watkins (0-1, 5.19 ERA), who got rocked in his last start. He gave up seven runs on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings of a 10-1 road loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
“It’s always a drive as a starting pitcher to give your bullpen a rest and give your team a chance to win and go deep in the game,” Watkins said. “I try not to let that cloud my thought process because you add more into your loop. It would have been nice to go long, but I’ll give the team what I can.”
Watkins, who has yet to pitch more than five innings in any of his six starts this season, has made one appearance against the Yankees in his career. He came in as a reliever and allowed two runs and three hits in two innings during Baltimore’s 7-2 loss to New York on Sept. 14, 2021.
New York manager Aaron Boone gave Aaron Judge the day off on Monday, marking the first time he didn’t start during the Yankees’ 23-game-in-22-day stretch that began on May 8. In the past nine games over the past eight days, Judge went 10-for-33 with three homers, eight RBIs and six walks.
“I think they could all use one (day off) during this stretch,” Boone said. “Especially the guys we depend on. Hopefully it serves him well.”
The Yankees had no trouble in the series opener.
After taking a 1-0 lead on Giancarlo Stanton’s double that scored Anthony Rizzo in the third inning, Jose Trevino provided the big blow an inning later with a three-run homer.
After Gleyber Torres singled to left, Joey Gallo struck out before Torres took second on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s infield single to shortstop. Two pitches later, Trevino drilled rookie right-hander Kyle Bradish’s fastball off the right field foul pole to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Orioles pulled within 4-1 on the first of Anthony Santander’s two solo home runs, as he hit one to right field as a left-handed hitter in the fourth before clearing the left field fence as a right-handed hitter in the ninth.
New York’s Josh Donaldson and Rizzo hit back-to-back solo homers in the ninth inning.
Luis Severino (3-0) allowed a run on one hit to go along with seven strikeouts against just two walks in six innings to beat the Orioles for the second time this season.
–Field Level Media