The New York Yankees have so much to play for down the stretch that they will be anxious to take advantage of the Baltimore Orioles in any way possible in their four-game series.
The second game comes Friday night in Baltimore, where the Yankees rolled to a 7-0 victory Thursday night.
"A good way to start the series," New York manager Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees (86-67) have won six of their last eight games. When they put together early offense, the rest often falls in place.
"I think it's important," Boone said. "You've got to be able to win a lot of different ways in this league. But jumping out on top early, obviously, is big."
Baltimore (72-81) must win its final nine games to finish with a .500 record.
The Orioles, who had a three-game winning streak snapped in the series opener, are willing to mix things up. They used Ryan Mountcastle, normally a first baseman who was in the lineup as designated hitter, in the leadoff position for the first time in his career.
"I wanted to keep (Jordan Westburg) second," interim manager Tony Mansolino said. "That's probably one of the big things. I want Westy to have some stability where he's at. I don't want him to move around."
Mountcastle, who had one of the team's three hits off Yankees ace Max Fried, sat out the final two games in Chicago against the White Sox this week because of a sore finger.
The Yankees have right-hander Will Warren (8-7, 4.44 ERA) lined up as their starting pitcher Friday as he'll aim for his first victory in four starts. New York is 0-3 this month in his games, and he suffered the loss Sunday at Boston by allowing six runs on 10 hits in five innings.
Warren didn't log a decision against the Orioles on June 22, working 6 1/3 innings and giving up two runs on six hits after he was tagged with a loss to Baltimore on April 28 when he was dinged for four runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Left-hander Trevor Rogers (8-2, 1.43) of the Orioles already has reached a career-high mark for victories and he'll look to build on that. He hasn't notched a decision in two September starts, though he fired five innings without yielding an earned run despite four walks last Friday at Toronto.
Rogers hasn't faced the Yankees since July 31, 2021, when he gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings without a decision while pitching for the Miami Marlins. His only other matchup with the Yankees came with three shutout innings in 2020. He has an ERA of 2.70 in the two starts.
This could be another chance for Yankees second baseman Amed Rosario, who opened the scoring with a two-run double in the first inning Thursday. He's described by Boone as a batter up to the task, especially against left-handed pitchers.
"He's a pro," Boone said. "He prepares really well. I love the energy he brings to the field every day. ... He has turned into kind of a lefty killer. But he's always ready."
--Field Level Media
