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Sportsbook.com had the Orioles vs. Yankees line set at -175for the April 12, 2011 game. The total was -120
Two teams looking to jump-start their offenses meet Tuesday in the Bronx for the first of a three-game set. Baltimore only scored one run in its past two games against Texas while New York was shut out 4-0 on Sunday night in Boston. The Yankees lineup is expected to get a boost from Alex Rodriguez (.321 BA, 3 HR, 5 RBI), who should return to the field after missing Sunday’s game with flu-like symptoms.
The Orioles’ bats aren’t completely ice cold, but they have not come through in the clutch in their last two losses (13-1 and 3-0 defeats). Baltimore left 18 runners on base in the two losses after leaving an average of only 4.1 LOB in its first seven games this season. Chris Tillman (0-0, 3.38 ERA) makes his third start of the season for Baltimore. After throwing six shutout innings in his first start at Tampa Bay, the 22-year-old Tillman was roughed up for four runs and six hits in just 4.2 innings Thursday versus Detroit. He has also not fared well in his three career starts against the Yankees, posting a 5.52 ERA and 2.11 WHIP (20 H, 11 BB in 14.2 IP). Robinson Cano, who is 6-for-7 lifetime against Tillman, batted .444 with five homers and 12 RBI against Baltimore last season.
After scoring 15 runs on 21 hits in its first two games of the series against the Red Sox, New York was held to just two hits by Josh Beckett on Sunday. The Yankees will send A.J. Burnett (2-0, 4.09 ERA) to the mound in search of his third win this season. Burnett allowed just two runs on five hits in six innings Thursday against the Twins. This was a nice improvement over his season debut April 2 when he allowed three runs in five innings versus Detroit. Burnett is 11-4 lifetime in 18 career starts against Baltimore, but he has certainly not dominated the O’s with a 4.47 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Last year, he didn’t allow the Orioles to score in his first two outings (15.1 IP), but gave up 11 runs in 20.2 innings (4.79 ERA) the last three times he faced them in the 2010 season. But the only current Orioles hitter with great success against Burnett has been 2B Brian Roberts, who is hitting .300 with three homers and 10 RBI in 50 career at-bats versus Burnett. Catcher Matt Wieters is 0-for-17 when facing the Yankees right-hander.
Former Yankee skipper Buck Showalter has done a great job since becoming the Orioles manager last August, posting a 40-26 record (.606), including an even 3-3 split with New York. This spread seems awful large for what appears to be a pretty even pitching matchup, especially considering Burnett is just 3-13 (18.8%) against the money line when facing a team with a winning record over the past two seasons.
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