MLB Game Preview - NY Yankees at Baltimore

Sat Sep 5, 2020 7:35 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles finally did it in the second game of their Friday doubleheader with the Yankees: They ended their 19-game, head-to-head losing streak against New York and their 18-game, head-to-head losing streak in the teams' meetings at Camden Yards.

Now, the Orioles will aim for a rare winning streak against New York when the teams square off again Saturday night in Baltimore.

The Orioles (17-21) were happy to end the two skids with a 6-3 victory in the Friday nightcap, the first time that second-year Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde has defeated the Yankees at Camden Yards. New York won the opener 6-5 in nine innings.

"We've had a tough time against them," Hyde said. "They're a good club. We've had opportunities in the past and haven't finished it. Tonight we finished the second game of the DH."

The Yankees (21-17) and starter Gerrit Cole will try to bounce back on Saturday.

Cole (4-2, 3.91 ERA) had won 20 consecutive decisions dating back to last year before losing each of his past two starts. He gave up a combined nine runs on 13 hits in 10 innings in defeats against the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays.

Cole examined game tape to see if he might have been tipping his pitches.

"I didn't find anything substantial there," he said Friday, according to Newsday. "I just felt there was probably a lot of different factors that have contributed to it. But not one main thing. ...

"Part of that is a product of guys being ready for the pitch, (part of it) is missing in a bad spot and maybe not catching a break a couple of times. There's room for improvement there, but certainly it's not very far off. Fine-tuning would be how I would describe trying to get it better."

Cole hasn't pitched much against Baltimore, going 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA three career starts. However, one of those outings was a July 29 win, when he limited the Orioles to three runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Baltimore left-hander Keegan Akin (0-0, 3.52 ERA) will make the second start of his major league career Saturday in his first career appearance against the Yankees.

His first start came Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays, when he yielded two runs (both unearned) on three hits in 4 1/3 innings. Akin fanned six and walked two.

"Keegan was fantastic," Hyde said. "He was excellent. I loved all the early strikes, how aggressive he was with his fastball and how he challenged their hitters. These were guys he faced in the minor leagues and I think he had a good feel for how to attack them, and he did."

The Yankees lost two more players to health issues on Friday, as third baseman Gio Urshela (bone spur in right elbow) and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga (illness) went on the 10-day injured list. According to manager Aaron Boone, Loaisiga isn't experiencing problems related to COVID-19.

Normal second baseman DJ LeMahieu started at third base in the opener Friday, and infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar got the start at third in the nightcap.

--Field Level Media