Orioles limp home to face rival Yankees

After a rough week on the road, the Baltimore Orioles will be back home Monday night to face the American League East Division rival New York Yankees.

The Orioles are coming off a 1-5 trip that has added to concerns as the team’s record dipped to 10-17.

“I think it’s going to take every single player on this team,” Baltimore infielder Ramon Urias said of how the team can climb out of its early hole. “We’re the only ones that can make that turnaround.”

It will be the first meeting between the teams this season.

Both teams had rainouts and then weekend doubleheaders, with the Yankees winning 11-2 and 5-1 against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. New York has won three of its last four games.

“Great way to finish off the series and head on to another tough one,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

JC Escarra’s first career home run provided the Yankees with a boost Sunday. It came in the 30-year-old catcher’s ninth career game in the major leagues.

“Really excited for JC and he did a great job behind the plate, too,” Boone said.

Baltimore’s struggles are concerning on various levels.

“It’s different because we’re supposed to win now,” Urias said. “We’ve got to work on that and try to win (Monday).”

The Orioles were swept in three games in Detroit, where the Tigers won 7-0 on Sunday to complete the sweep after winning both games Saturday. Baltimore, which managed five hits (all singles) in its latest game while striking out 15 times, has dropped six of its last seven games.

The mound work hasn’t gone much better for the Orioles.

“We’re not playing the best baseball and we’re walking too many guys,” manager Brandon Hyde said.

Catcher Adley Rutschman (swollen hand), outfielder Cedric Mullins (ill) and infielder Jordan Westburg (hamstring) weren’t in Sunday’s lineup for the Orioles. They’re considered day-to-day, Hyde said.

“That’s three good players that you don’t have in the lineup,” Hyde said. “But injuries do happen. … We’re going through a tough time right now and hopefully we can get out of this and start playing better baseball.”

Baltimore hasn’t scored more than three runs in any of its last seven games, reaching the three-run level just once. Outfielder Dylan Carlson has played in four games since arriving from Triple-A Norfolk and he has yet to notch a hit.

The Orioles will go with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1, 3.54 ERA) as their starting pitcher. The first-year major leaguer from Japan has logged seven innings in each of his last two starts.

“I always have this mentality of going deep every time I pitch,” Sugano said.

His durability has been a boost for the pitching staff.

“Didn’t show any sign that he was getting tired,” Hyde said.

Sugano has allowed at least one home run in four consecutive outings, including two long balls in each of his last two appearances. He said not issuing a walk in his last outing was a good sign, however.

The Yankees have right-hander Will Warren (1-0, 4.79) lined up as their starter. He had his third five-inning outing last Tuesday in Cleveland in a no-decision. He has yet to face the Orioles in his brief carer (11 total appearances).

This three-game series will be Baltimore’s only meetings against an AL East team for more than three weeks.

–Field Level Media