This is not the spot the Orioles wanted to be in. The Yankees took the first two games of this set by a combined 16-6, and now Baltimore has to look up at Cam Schlittler and a 1.51 ERA just to salvage a game on getaway day. At 15-19 with a rotation that's been gutted, the margin for error is already gone.
Schlittler has been the story of the Yankees' first month and a half. He's allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his six starts, walked four batters across 133 faced, and just punched out into eight innings against Boston in his last outing. That is not a normal sample for a guy with this little big-league track record, and the Orioles' lineup — without Westburg, Mountcastle, Holliday, and Kjerstad — is exactly the kind of group he should bully.
Shane Baz finally got his first win in orange last week, going 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Astros. It was his best start of the year, but "best start of the year" with a 4.50 ERA still says plenty about the spring he's had since the extension. Baltimore needs the version of Baz they paid for, not the one who's been navigating traffic every other inning.
The Yankees being -308 favorites with Schlittler on the mound is not a typo, and 92% of DK tickets are piling onto New York anyway. The total moved from 8.5 at Pinnacle to 9 at DK, which tells you the public sees Baz as the soft spot and isn't worried about Schlittler giving anything back. Hard to argue with the read, even if the price is brutal.
Watch the Ben Rice situation before first pitch — he was pulled Sunday with a left hand contusion after a 2-for-2, homer-and-a-double afternoon. If he's out, the Yankees lose a hot bat against a pitcher they should be hunting. Otherwise, the script writes itself: Schlittler eats six or seven, the Bronx bullpen closes, and Baltimore flies home 1-3 on the trip.
- Day-To-DayBlaze Alexander 3B — Alexander is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
- Day-To-DayRichard Guasch SP — no
- Day-To-DayWill Robertson LF — The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- Day-To-DayKeagan Gillies P — Gillies will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a quad injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayLuis Vazquez SS — Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that Vazquez has been diagnosed with a broken right thumb, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJackson Holliday 2B — The Orioles sent Holliday (hand) to Double-A Chesapeake on Thursday to resume a rehab assignment.
- 10-Day-ILHeston Kjerstad LF — The Orioles announced Monday that Kjerstad (hamstring) will be re-evaluated soon to determine his readiness for a rehab assignment, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 15-Day-ILCade Povich SP — The Orioles placed Povich on the 15-day injured list Friday with left shoulder inflammation.
- Day-To-DayTravis MacGregor SP — MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayRyan Weathers SP — The Yankees placed Weathers on the paternity list Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayBen Hess SP — Double-A Somerset placed Hess on its 7-day injured list April 18 due to an unspecified injury.
- 10-Day-ILJasson Dominguez LF — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Dominguez will miss "a few weeks" after an MRI revealed a low-grade AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton DH — Stanton (calf) has not been cleared to resume running, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
- 15-Day-ILAngel Chivilli RP — Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Chivilli (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for roughly three weeks, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILGerrit Cole SP — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Cole (elbow) is expected to need a "couple more" rehab starts before being activated from the 15-day injured list, David Lennon of Newsday reports.
- 15-Day-ILCarlos Rodon SP — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Rodon (elbow) is likely on track to return from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut Sunday in Milwaukee, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
Orioles fans, if there's a silver lining, it's that the schedule eventually turns. Just not today.