Preview: Orioles At Yankees
By KEVIN CHROUST
STATS Writer
(AP) -- What's turning out to be a historically poor month at the plate has come at a very bad time for the New York Yankees, and even a recent run of success is unlikely to be enough to reverse their playoff fortunes.
Nevertheless, they'll continue trying to track down the final wild-card spot Tuesday night at home against the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles.
New York's 5-0 series-opening win Monday was its fifth in six games, though the Yankees (81-75) remain four games back with three teams to pass.
"We have to pretty much win out," manager Joe Girardi said. "But you never know. Strange things happen in sports. We've seen it. We've seen people that were 10 games back come back in a month's time and find a way to get in the playoffs on the last day."
Baltimore (93-63), meanwhile, clinched home-field advantage in an AL division series after Detroit lost.
"It is (nice), and it wasn't a foregone conclusion," managerBuck Showalter told MLB's official website.
Derek Jeter began his final regular-season home series by going 1 for 3 with three RBIs. The shortstop is batting .417 during a six-game hitting streak.
The Yankees are batting .216 in September for the franchise's worst mark in the month since hitting .211 in 1967 and the third-worst September average since 1914.
They haven't been much better against Baltimore, hitting .224 while going 5-11 in the season series.
That could change against Ubaldo Jimenez.
Jimenez (5-9, 4.90 ERA), who is starting as Showalter tries to give his rotation some added rest, made his first start in a month in last Tuesday's 8-2 division-clinching win over Toronto. The right-hander earned the victory after allowing two runs and two hits while walking four and striking out six in five innings.
His control issues remain substantial as he's issued 20 walks in 23 1-3 innings over his last six outings, four of which have been starts.
Some of his worst command has come against the Yankees as he's issued 11 walks in 10 1-3 innings over two starts, adding to a 1-4 record and 5.79 ERA in six career outings.
Mark Teixeira is 2 for 19 with eight strikeouts in their matchups, Brett Gardner is 2 for 12 and Jeter 1 for 8.
Jimenez faces Brandon McCarthy, who has been much more impressive.
McCarthy (7-4, 2.54) will try to continue a stellar second half of the season at Yankee Stadium, where he's gone 5-1 with a 1.36 ERA in six starts since being acquired from Arizona on July 6.
His last two have come on the road, but they've also been strong. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA in three September starts, the latest coming as he allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings of Wednesday's 3-2 win at Tampa Bay.
He also baffled the Orioles on Sept. 12, throwing seven scoreless innings.
"I think his sinker's been really good, and I think his curveball has been really effective," Girardi said. "I think that he gets some strikes with it, and he puts some guys away with it, and I think it's been really effective."
McCarthy has held Nelson Cruz to 3 for 22 and Nick Markakis to 3 for 16 with a home run. Alejandro De Aza is 5 for 9.
Markakis was back Monday after missing four consecutive games due to being hit by a pitch. Steve Pearce had a cortisone injection and was out for the third straight game because of a sore right wrist, but he hopes to return Wednesday.
Teixeira had a third cortisone shot in his surgically repaired right wrist on Sunday and hopes to play Tuesday.
Updated September 23, 2014
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