Baltimore @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2015 ) Baltimore 6, NY Yankees 8

Alex Rodriguez has gone deep in back-to-back games and can reach 30 homers in a season for the 15th time in his career when the New York Yankees resume their three-game series against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. The Yankees have won eight of 10 and are within a half-game of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.

While Rodriguez is one blast shy of his first 30-homer season since 2010, rookie Greg Bird stole his thunder with a tiebreaking three-run shot in Monday's 8-6 victory. Bird has three homers and seven RBIs during a five-game hitting streak and has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games while filling in for the injured Mark Teixeira. The skidding Orioles have dropped 15 of their last 18 to drop into a tie with Boston for last place in the AL East and are trying to avoid their sixth consecutive series loss. Baltimore right-hander Kevin Gausman, seeking his first victory in more than five weeks, opposes Masahiro Tanaka in the second of a three-game set.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (2-6, 4.59 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (11-6, 3.73)

Gausman is coming off his shortest start of the season, lasting 2 1/3 innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits to stretch his winless drought to six turns. He allowed four runs on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings in his previous outing, ending a three of three straight quality starts. Gausman, who permitted four runs in six innings in a loss at Yankee Stadium on July 22, has yielded seven homers in his last four starts.

Tanaka has won three of his last four starts, but he has not been especially sharp since giving up only one run in a complete-game victory at Toronto on Aug. 15. Tanaka has been reached for 11 runs over his last three turns, but the Yankees have provided him with a combined 28 runs in back-to-back road wins at Boston and Atlanta. He evened his record at 1-1 versus the Orioles with 7 2/3 innings of three-run ball on July 23.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles 1B Chris Davis has five homers and nine RBIs in a six-game hitting streak.

2. Yankees LHP CC Sabathia is expected to make his first start since Aug. 23 in Wednesday's series finale.

3. Orioles CF Adam Jones hurt his should on a throw in Monday's game, putting his status in question for Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Orioles 4