Yankees meet Orioles in massive June clash with Gerrit Cole’s return imminent

With a slim 1.5 game lead over their American League East division rivals, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles will face off in a crucial three-game series for the top seed, starting in Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees, with a solid .676 winning percentage, have the best record in Major League Baseball. The Orioles, 8-2 in their last 10 games, are tied for the second-best record in the league and are looking to win the AL East for the second straight season.

Baltimore is coming off back-to-back wins against the National League’s top-ranked Philadelphia Phillies, outscoring them 14-5 over the final two games of the series, thanks in large part to the long ball. Anthony Santander hit two homers Saturday in a 6-2 victory. Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg all scored Sunday in an 8-3 win.

Speaking of Henderson, he comes in with 22 homers, second in the majors only to Aaron Judge. The 22-year-old phenom is also second in wins above replacement (WAR) with 5. According to Fangraphs, an average full-time player is worth about 2 WAR. Henderson has surpassed that number with more than half the season remaining.

The Orioles will send out Albert Suárez to start on Tuesday. The 34-year-old right-hander has had a solid year, going 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA thus far. Wednesday’s likely starter is Cade Povich, who has made just two starts and is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA. Cole Irvin, 6-3 with a solid 3.03 ERA, will close out the series on Thursday, meaning the The Yankees will avoid Cy Young candidate Corbin Burnes. The Orioles’ massive offseason addition lived up to the hype, posting an elite 8-2 record with a 2.14 ERA. He started and won Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Phillies, outplaying NL Cy Young candidate Zack Wheeler.

The Yankees return home after a 4-3 road trip that saw them lose the last two games at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox this weekend. The good news for New York is that they still have Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who have been as formidable a duo as any in baseball this year.

Judge leads baseball with a 5.1 WAR and 26 home runs. He left the field again Sunday against the Red Sox but it wasn’t enough as the Yankees lost 9-3. Soto, the Yankees’ prized offseason acquisition, has been terrific with a .315 batting average and 18 home runs. There is a lot of debate going on about whether New York will be able to re-sign the 25-year-old southpaw after the season. For now, at least, Soto is a Yankee and will look to help them extend their division lead over Baltimore.

The Yankees will send out veteran left-hander Nestor Cortes on Tuesday. He’s been a steady anchor at the end of the rotation for New York this year, with a solid 3.59 ERA with 80 strikeouts. Wednesday’s starter has yet to be announced, but all signs so far point toward Gerrit Cole’s long-awaited debut in the 2024 season.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner was sidelined during spring training with an elbow injury. He struck out 10 during a rehab start at Triple-A on Friday, giving him normal rest for a potential start in the middle of the series game against Baltimore.

Yankees ace Luis Gil will start Thursday. Gil comes in with a dazzling 2.03 ERA and a 9-1 record. The 26-year-old right-hander will look to temper an Orioles lineup that leads the majors with 114 home runs through Tuesday.

The first series between these two this year took place at Camden Yards from late April to early May. The Orioles won three of four games, led by strong performances from the starting pitcher.

It may only be June, but this series carries enormous weight in what is shaping up to be an epic race for the AL East division.

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