The “Evil Empire” goes for the four-game sweep on Star Wars day, as the New York Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees (23–11, 1st AL East) have taken 13 of their last 15 games to skyrocket atop the American League, a torrid run punctuated by Sunday’s 11–3 blowout against Baltimore. The Orioles (15–19, 4th AL East) have dropped nine of their last 15, now looking to salvage the series against their division rival.
Looking at the pitching probables, we’ve got Baltimore right-hander Shane Baz (1–2, 4.50 ERA) taking on New York righty Cam Schlittler (4–1, 1.51 ERA).
First pitch is tabbed for 7:05 p.m. ET. The Yankees enter as 1.5-run home favorites with -219 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Orioles are +179 underdogs, with the total set at O/U 8.5 runs.
Orioles vs. Yankees Preview
Baltimore Orioles
While Baltimore’s new-look offense has gotten off to a rather mundane start — sitting 13th league-wide in wRC+ (99) — a lineup featuring established sluggers in Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso remains formidable. The latter of whom has crushed a pair of home runs across the first three games against his former crosstown rival.
It’s the dreadful pitching, exacerbated by countless defensive blunders, that has raised serious red flags for the Orioles early on. Baltimore currently ranks 27th leaguewide with a 4.79 ERA, struggling to strand runners and eschew the long ball. Beyond the mound, the Orioles rank near MLB’s bottom in outs above average (24th) and fielding run value (25th), while also coughing up the fifth-most errors in the sport. And that disharmony has been on full display in The Bronx.
Baltimore looks to stem the tide Monday night, handing the ball to Shane Baz. The right-handed flamethrower, 26, has gotten tagged for a 4.50 ERA (4.09 xERA) and a 1.50 WHIP with just 29 strikeouts through his first six starts with the O’s. While Baz is coming off an impressive 5.2 innings of one-run ball versus the Astros, he’ll put that momentum to the test against one of the hottest offenses in baseball — while hoping his defense is there to back him up.
New York Yankees
One month in, the Yankees are setting the pace in the American League. Their +65 run differential dwarfs the Tigers, who rank second at +18.
While MLB’s OPS leader, Ben Rice, is not in the lineup for Monday’s contest due to a thumb contusion, the Yankees still boast one of the sport’s top offenses. Despite getting hit with some gnarly batted-ball luck, the Aaron Judge-driven order ranks fifth in wRC+ (118), fourth in OPS (.785), and third in runs scored (180). And of course, the Bronx Bombers pace the majors with 56 home runs.
Funny enough, hitting hasn’t even been New York’s greatest strength early on — not by a mile. The pitching staff currently leads the league in ERA (3.01), WHIP (1.12), and FIP (3.46). A driving force behind their success has been ascendant right-hander Cam Schlittler. The 25-year-old fireballer has shoved to the tune of a 1.51 ERA (2.38 xERA) with an MLB-best 0.74 WHIP and 1.54 FIP, along with 49 strikeouts, across his first seven starts. Most recently, he delivered six shutout frames against the Rangers in Texas with eight strikeouts.
Orioles vs. Yankees Pick, Best Bet
Following Sunday’s game, the Yankees optioned former franchise shortstop Anthony Volpe to the minor leagues — a stunning move that tells you all you need to know: they’re here to win.
With an ace-level talent on the bump, expect the warming New York offense to provide plenty of run support and polish off the sweep of their beleaguered division rival.
