Baltimore @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2011 ) Baltimore 4, NY Yankees 2

THE STORY: The New York Yankees had a rare stub of the toe against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, but they are poised to avenge the loss in a day-night doubleheader Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Such is the plight of Baltimore's pitching staff that the Orioles are calling up a pair of pitchers from the minor leagues to start the twin bill. Baltimore rode a strong seven-inning performance from Jeremy Guthrie on Friday night to beat the Yankees for the first time in seven tries this season. It was only the 13th win over New York in the past 53 meetings for the Orioles.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (2-3, 4.33 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Bartolo Colon (7-6, 3.29).

Tillman was sent down to Triple A at the end of May despite allowing four runs in his last four starts. His inability to pitch deep into games earned him the demotion. Tillman has not fared well against the Yankees, going 1-2 in four career starts and allowing a .403 batting average against. He was tagged for six runs on nine hits in 1 2/3 innings in a 7-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on April 13. After lasting only two-thirds of an inning in his first start after the All-Star break, Colon has posted back-to-back solid efforts. He beat Oakland his last time out, allowing two runs on eight hits in seven innings. He turned in one of his best performances of the season against the Orioles on May 18, tossing eight scoreless innings and allowing three hits. For his career, the 37-year-old righty is 10-7 in 22 appearances (21 starts) against Baltimore.

ABOUT THE YANKEES (61-42): New York couldn’t do much against Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie in Friday’s series opener. Until a belated ninth-inning rally, Mark Teixeira provided the only offense with a solo home run. It was his team-leading 29th blast of the season and his third in four games. He has four homers and 10 RBIs in the first seven games of this 10-game homestand. Curtis Granderson, who is second to Teixeira with 28 homers, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts - the third straight game he has whiffed twice. Granderson had fanned 14 times in the last seven games.

ABOUT THE ORIOLES (42-60): Baltimore’s win Friday was only its 16th on the road this season - the worst in the major leagues. Mark Reynolds provided an early offensive spark with a two-run homer, his team-high 22nd of the season. It was the second homer in the past 20 games for Reynolds, who is batting only .217. Derrek Lee had a solo blast and RBI double. He is 7-for-14 with a pair of homers and seven RBIs in his last four games. Adam Jones went hitless in four at-bats, snapped a string of four straight two-hit games.

FINAL PITCH: The Yankees activated reliever Rafael Soriano from the disabled list Friday night. Soriano, who had 45 saves with Tampa Bay last season and was signed to a three-year, $35 million contract in the off-season, has not pitched since May 13. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said his plan is to work Soriano back slowly into the bullpen rotation.