ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The first two times the Yankees started their series against the Orioles, the Yankees were leading the AL East both times.
On Friday, they’ll arrive at Camden Yards, but it won’t be as exciting as expected.
The Yankees have had a poor run recently, losing 18 of their last 25 games, and the Orioles have not been able to take full advantage of that.
During that stretch, the Orioles went just 12-12, and the Yankees went from 3.5 games behind the Orioles — one game shy of their largest lead of the season — to just two games back before Friday.
Still, this latest showdown between the top two teams in the division will carry extra weight given that the Yankees are in desperate need of momentum heading into the All-Star break and this is their penultimate series of the season against the Orioles.
“The No. 1 team in our division, obviously a very talented lineup,” said Gerrit Cole, who will take the mound Friday night in his fifth start of the season. “It’s definitely going to be a good challenge and I’m looking forward to it.”
The two teams last met on June 20 in the Bronx, and since then the Orioles have fallen to 8-11 — not quite as bad as the Yankees’ losing streak, but enough to keep them in first place in the division.
The Yankees will be looking to upset the defending division champions, and the Orioles have been on full display of athleticism, losing the first two series 5-2.
“Obviously, they’re a tough team,” coach Aaron Boone said. “We’ve had some close games, we’ve had some games where we’ve had a little bit of pressure. We’re going to have to play really well to beat them.”
The Orioles have been tough against the Yankees, holding them to just three runs per game while batting .197 with a .621 OPS, but Boone’s lineup will be without Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes, who pitched well against the Yankees in May, giving up just two runs in six innings. Burnes only took the mound on Wednesday.
The Orioles are expected to use left-handers Cade Povich, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer.
Meanwhile, Cole will be making his second attempt against the Orioles (followed by Lewis Hill and Carlos Rodon).
The first was his season debut on June 19 at Yankee Stadium, where he was limited to just 62 pitches and four innings pitched as he continued to recover from neuritis in his elbow.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner has thrown 90 pitches in two straight games and is nearly fully healthy.
“In a vacuum, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at,” said Cole, who gave up 13 runs in 17 1/3 innings. “I’m still mindful that it’s early July for everybody else and early April for me. That’s a challenge. It’s definitely a challenge I can overcome.”
As the Orioles send five players to next week’s All-Star game, Cole pointed to the team’s depth in the lineup and its combination of speed and power.
They entered Thursday’s game against the Cubs with the majors’ best OPS (.772) and most home runs (147), nine of which came in seven games against the Yankees.
Still, this weekend will be the last time the Yankees play the Orioles, with the games taking place Sept. 24-26, at which point the division race could become tight.
“Obviously, a win means a win for us and a loss for our opponent,” Cole said. “Maybe it means less than it did before because of the schedule changes, but it’s still the most efficient way to gain games or extend a lead in the standings, so that familiarity and being as efficient as possible in beating teams in your division, those are the more important variables.”
