MLB Game Preview - NY Yankees at Baltimore

Sat Apr 8, 2017 4:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles got two off-days in the first week, a big reason they are able to bring back No. 1 starter Kevin Gausman for his second start in just the fourth game of the season on Saturday.

Gausman, who has stepped in for injured Chris Tillman (shoulder bursitis), started the season opener on Monday against Toronto. The two days off let manager Buck Showalter bring back Gausman (0-0, 3.38 ERA) on Saturday for the middle game of a three-game series with the New York Yankees.

The right-hander allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings in his Opening Day start and will come back five days later to take on the Yankees. Baltimore needs consistency from Gausman (6-3, 1.92 career ERA versus New York) until the return of Tillman, which likely will not come until early May.

In fact, the Orioles actually broke camp with just three starters due to the early off-days, and the fact that they will not need a fifth starter until April 15. No. 4 starter Wade Miley (upper respiratory infection) will return from the disabled list and start the series finale Sunday.

Tillman went to extended spring training in Florida on Friday and will continue his rehab work down there.

Power has carried the Orioles in the first three games, much as it did last year. Baltimore (3-0) led the major leagues with 253 home runs in 2016, and the Orioles already have hit five this season.

The Orioles hit two in each of the last two games, with Manny Machado getting a three-run shot before Seth Smith hit a two-run homer in the seventh that gave them a 6-5 win in the series opener.

Baltimore confirmed Friday that Wade Miley will start on Sunday. He's been on the 10-day disabled list due to an upper respiratory infection but did well in a simulated game earlier this week at Double-A Bowie and can come off the DL Sunday.

Also, closer Zach Britton hurt his ankle when he fell while trying to field a grounder in the ninth. Manager Buck Showalter said Britton appeared to be all right but they will check it out again and keep an eye on it.

"I looked at the replay," Showalter said. "Didn't look too bad but we'll see how it manages when the adrenaline kind of wears off."

Masahiro Tanaka (0-1, 23.63) is the New York starter and hopes to rebound from a poor first start against Tampa Bay. The right-hander (1-1, 2.39 career ERA vs. the Orioles) allowed seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings on Monday against the Rays.

Matt Holliday started to come out of his early-season slump in the series opener on Friday. He finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs, the big hit being a two-run homer, his first as a Yankee, and his averaged jumped to .308.

Holliday now has 1,999 career hits.

The Yankees had gotten a good effort from their bullpen, which did not allow a run in their first 13 2/3 innings in the first three games this year. But Tyler Clippard gave up the Smith homer in the seventh inning Friday night that gave Baltimore a 6-5 victory.

"Our bullpen has been really good, but we got a little blip in it," New York manager Joe Girardi said after Friday's loss.