The two AL East teams will start June with a three-game set at Yankee Stadium tonight, and then will meet again next week at Camden Yards.
Head-to-head: The Yankees swept the Orioles in the beginning of May at home, and took two of three from Baltimore on the road the week before. Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher have posted big numbers against the O’s this year, and Garrett Atkins has had great success against the Yankees. Javier Vazquez, tonight’s starter, is the only starter who hasn’t faced the Orioles this year.
Pitching Matchups:
| Date: | Orioles starters | Yankees starters |
| Tues., 7:05 p.m. | Brian Matusz (2-5, 5.76) | J. Vazquez (3-5, 6.86) |
| Wed., 7:05 p.m. | Brad Bergesen (3-3, 5.96) | Phil Hughes (6-1, 2.70) |
| Thurs., 1:05 p.m. | Kevin Millwood (0-5, 3.89) | CC Sabathia (4-3, 4.16) |
Players to Watch:
Orioles: Ty Wigginton. He’s been the most productive player for the O’s by far this year with 13 homers and 32 RBIs. The Yankees have kept him relatively quiet so far this year, and will need to continue that trend if they want to collect more victories.
Yankees: Cano. He’s riding a 14-game hitting streak and has six straight multi-hit games. Six! He has 12 RBIs in his last five. He is the hottest player in baseball right now. Watch him.
Prediction:
It’s hard to predict a sweep with Vazquez on the mound tonight and a struggling CC Sabathia on Thursday, but it’s a new month. I don’t like the looks of Kevin Millwood’s record this year. The Yankees don’t usually like facing 0-5 pitchers. I’ll say two out of three if they’re lucky. The bullpen is still a major cause for concern.
