Yankees Win Big Series Against Orioles

espn.go.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 12^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 6 Orioles 5

The New York Yankees were able to take the four-game series on the road in Baltimore against the Orioles, which is huge for the Yankees, as they are closing in on the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card spot. The win moves the Yankees to (79-68) on the season, and now sit just one game behind the Rays.

Orioles Starter Wei-Yin Chen had a rough night in a big game, as the Yankees offense had no problem hitting the lefty. In the second inning Mark Reynolds got the Yankees on the board with a two-run home run, which was his 19^th of the season. In the third inning with the bases loaded Vernon Wells came thru with a two-run single that scored Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano, which made it a 4-0 Yankees lead at the time. The final Yankees run off Chen would come from the bat of Curtis Granderson, who smacked a solo-home run off of him, which was Granderson's sixth of the season. Chen finished going 6.1 innings allowing five runs on seven hits, and two walks, but Chen however did strikeout nine batters.

Soriano Blasts Yankees Past Orioles

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 10^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 7 Orioles 5

The New York Yankees were able to bounce back from a loss on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles with a come from behind win on Tuesday night. The win moves the Yankees to (77-68) on the season, which is two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

Miguel Gonzalez got the start for the Orioles in Game 2 of the four-game series, and although despite pitching much better than his previous start against the Yankees he didn’t factor in the decision of this game. Alex Rodriguez got to Gonzalez first breaking a scoreless game up in the third inning with a RBI double that scored Chris Stewart. In the sixth inning the Yankees would show off their power, as Alfonso Soriano hit a solo-home run, which was his 14^th home run since joining the Yankees. Mark Reynolds would follow in Soriano's footsteps a few batters later with a solo-home run of his own, which was his 18^th of the year. Gonzalez finished going six innings allowing three runs on six hits, while striking out six batters, and leaving the game in position to earn the win.

Yankees Lose in Series Opener to Orioles

allfanpage.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 9th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles

Final Score: Yankees 2 Orioles 4

The New York Yankees were unable to start their important four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on a good note, as they suffered a 4-2 loss on Monday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (76-68) on the season, which is three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.

In a big game for both teams, Orioles Starter Chris Tillman came up big with a great start, as he earned his 16th win of the season. Tillman only made two bad pitches in this game, but was otherwise sensational. In the first inning Alex Rodriguez hit a solo-home run off of Tillman to give the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead, and it was the fifth home run of the season for Rodriguez. It wouldn’t be until the eighth inning when Tillman would make another mistake, as Lyle Overbay hit a solo-home run, which was his 14th of the season. Tillman went seven innings allowing just the two runs on four hits, while striking out nine batters.

Ivan Nova Pitches a Gem Against Orioles

yanksgoyard.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 31^st, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Orioles 0 Yankees 2

The New York Yankees were able to pick up their second straight win and win the series against the Orioles at home behind a great start from Ivan Nova. The win moves the Yankees to (72-63), which is four games behind the two Wild Card spots in the American League.

For the Yankees in this win it was all about Ivan Nova, who was sensational on Saturday afternoon, while earning his eighth win of the season. Nova threw a complete game shutout, as he only allowed three hits and one walk, while striking out five. The scariest moment of the game for Nova came in the ninth inning with a runner on, as Chris Davis hit a fly ball to the warning track in Right Field, but luckily the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium held it in.

Yankees Take Opener Against Orioles

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 30th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Orioles 5 Yankees 8

The New York Yankees were able to start their series at home against the Baltimore Orioles on a positive not with a victory on Friday night after two straight losing series against division opponents. The win moves the Yankees to (71-63) on the seasons, which are four games behind the second Wild Card spot.

C.C. Sabathia was looking good for the first three innings of this game, but after that it was a tough go of it for Sabathia, who once again got hit hard after the third inning. Sabathia was still able to get his 12th win thanks to a lot of offense, and some great pitching from the Yankees bullpen. In the fourth inning Chris Davis broke up the scoreless game with a single that scored Manny Machado. In the fifth inning after being given a lead by the offense, Sabathia gave it right back to the Orioles, as Danny Valencia hit a two-run homerun, and then later in that inning Machado singled home Alexi Casilla to cap off the three-run inning. In the sixth inning the Orioles would get their final run off Sabathia on a Nick Markakis single that scored Adam Jones, and led to Sabathia getting pulled. Sabathia went just 5.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

forbes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

1.) St Louis Cardinals (62-40) – A tough weekend series for the Cardinals getting swept in Atlanta, but they still hold the best record in baseball, and they did also get Outfielder Matt Holliday back in the lineup which will help them as they continue a tough part in their schedule.

2.) Boston Red Sox (63-43) – Boston saw their AL East lead slip away for a day, but they were able to get it back on Sunday with a win against the Orioles, which was an impressive series win on the road against a division rival. David Ortiz was a big part of Sunday's win going four for four with a home run.

3.) Tampa Bay Rays (62-43) – The Rays are looking like one of the best teams in baseball, as they had a good week on the road against the Red Sox and Yankees. A makeup game on Monday in Boston could allow the Rays to be in first place in the AL East with a win.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (61-42) – A huge home-stand starts on Monday for the Pirates, as they will host the Cardinals who they are trying to catch in the NL Central for five games, and then have two three-game series against the Rockies and Marlins.

5.) Oakland Athletics (62-43) – The A's are in first place in the AL West behind some great pitching in the last few months, and an offense that is in the top-10 in runs scored. Bartolo Colon amidst possibly being suspended is having a great season going 14-3 with a 2.54 ERA.

Orioles Snap Yankees Winning Streak

oriolespost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 7^th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Orioles 2 Yankees 1

The New York Yankees had their six game winning streak snapped on Sunday afternoon, as they were unable to sweep the Orioles at home. The loss moves the Yankees to (48-40) on the season, which is fourth in the AL East.

Orioles Starter Jason Hammel gave up the first run of the game in the second inning, as Eduardo Nunez knocked in his third run in his last two games since coming off the DL, with his sac-fly that scored Zoilo Almonte. Hammel would end up going just five innings, allowing the one run on six hits and two walks.

The Yankees got a great start from Hiroki Kuroda, but sadly for Kuroda he only got a no decision for his efforts. Kuroda would go seven shutout innings allowing just three hits and a walk on 88 pitches, leaving the game in the hands of David Robertson and Mariano Rivera.

Orioles Complete Sweep of Yankees

sports.yahoo.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 30^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Orioles 4

The Baltimore Orioles completed the sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball, by beating the Yankees 4-2. The loss makes it five straight for the Yankees, and they are now (42-39) on the season, which is just 1.5 games out of last place in the AL East.

Manny Machado wasted little time getting to Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda, as in the first inning Machado hit a solo-home run off him for his sixth of the season. The home runs would really hurt Kuroda in this one, as he picked up his sixth loss of the season. Chris Davis was the second Oriole to take Kuroda deep in the second inning for his 31^st home run of the year. In the third inning it was yet another home run off Kuroda this one another solo-shot from Nat McLouth for his sixth of the year. In the seventh inning a Matt Wieters single and a J.J. Hardy double forced Kuroda from the game. Boone Logan did a good job considering he came in with no outs and runners on second and third. Brian Roberts got the fourth a final run although with a sac-fly, scoring Wieters. Kuroda's day finished with him going six innings allowing four runs on seven hits, but Kuroda did strikeout seven batters.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

1.) Pittsburgh Pirates (51-30) – The Pirates after 81 games have the best record in baseball, and have a two-game lead in the NL Central. They are on a nine-game winning streak, as after a great West Coast trip they returned home to sweep the Brewers this past weekend.

2.) St Louis Cardinals (49-32) – St Louis had a bit of a tough week against the AL West, losing three out of five games to the Athletics and Astros. The Cardinals are still in the top 10 in most batting and pitching categories, and still have the second best record in baseball.

3.) Boston Red Sox (50-34) – A good week for the AL East leading Red Sox keeps them on top of their division, and they cooled off the Toronto Blue Jays, taking three out of four games against them this weekend. They are the number one in runs scored with a lineup led by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

4.) Texas Rangers (48-34) – The Rangers are rolling, and are in first place in the AL West going (8-2) in there last 10 games. Elvis Andrus is having a disappointing first half of the season however batting just .243

5.) Atlanta Braves (48-34) – Atlanta has built a very good pitching staff once again, as they are second in team ERA and quality starts. The main concern for the Braves has to be their team batting average, which is just .245.

Phelps and Yankees Get Crushed in Baltimore

usatoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 29^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles

Final Score: Yankees 3 Orioles 11

The New York Yankees suffered a blowout loss in Game 2 of their series in Baltimore against the Orioles, as they lost 11-3. The loss moves the Yankees to (42-38) on the season, as they are now on a four-game losing streak, and closer to last place than first place in the tough AL East.

This game got out of hand early for the Yankees, as David Phelps had a disastrous start, which led to his fifth loss of the season, and may have cost him his spot in the rotation. Phelps made it just 2.1 innings allowing nine runs on nine hits, and two walks. The Orioles wasted little time getting to Phelps, as Adam Jones got their first run of the game with an RBI single, which scored Manny Machado. After Jones, Chris Davis smacked a three-run homerun for his 29^th home run of the season, and made it a 4-0 game. Phelps pitched a scoreless second inning, but in the third the Orioles broke it open. Former Yankee Chris Dickerson had a two-run base hit with the bases loaded to make it 6-0, and then Ryan Flaherty hit a three-run home run, which was his sixth of the year, and ended Phelps' day early.

Sabathia Blows Lead for Yankees in Baltimore

northjersey.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 28^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles

Final Score: Yankees 3 Orioles 4

The New York Yankees were unable to start their series against the division rival Baltimore Orioles on a good note losing 4-3. The loss moves the Yankees to (42-37) on the season, and are now 5.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

The offense for the Yankees got to T.J McFarland early to chase him out of the game after just going 2.2 innings. McFarland gave up three runs on seven hits, and one walk before his early exit. Robinson Cano got the Yankees on the board in the first inning with an RBI base hit that scored Brett Gardner, who was on base after a lead off double. The Yankees would knock McFarland out of the game before finishing the third inning, as Vernon Wells had a RBI base hit which scored Jayson Nix, and then Chris Stewart had a RBI base hit that scored Robinson Cano. The third inning however would be the last time the Yankees scored on Friday night.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 11

redbirdrants.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 11

1.) St Louis Cardinals (44-25) – The Cardinals are once again in the top spot for the Power Rankings, as they have established themselves as the best team in baseball with a run differential of a plus 102. Their hitting has been great and their pitching has been great, and they look like the most complete team in baseball.

2.) Cincinnati Reds (42-28) – The Reds would be in first place in any other division in baseball, but unfortunately for them they have the Cardinals in theirs. Jay Bruce is getting hot, which may help the Reds get closer to first place in the NL Central.

3.) Pittsburgh Pirates (41-28) – Gerrit Cole made his much anticipated debut this week, and is (2-0) now this season, but A.J. Burnett torn his calf muscle, so the Pirates will need Cole to continue pitching well if they want to be in the mix in the NL Central.

4.) Oakland Athletics (42-29) – Josh Donaldson continues his awesome start to the season, as he is leading the Athletics in batting average and RBIs. Bartolo Colon is looking like a Cy Young pitcher this season, with nine wins, and a 2.89 ERA.

5.) Boston Red Sox (42-29) – The Red Sox are still in first place in what is probably the toughest division in baseball, but the hot start from Jon Lester has ended it seems, as his ERA is now over four, and he hasn’t won a game in six starts.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

stltoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

1.) St Louis Cardinals (41-22) – The Cardinals are once again in the top spot in the Power Rankings, as they just keep on winning, and are now 19 games over .500. A series win on the road against the Reds this weekend was huge for St Louis solidify their top spot in the Power Rankings.

2.) Atlanta Braves (39-24) – The Braves have opened up a nice lead already in the NL East despite having three everyday starters batting .200 or less, which makes the fact that the Braves are 15 games over .500 in more impressive.

3.) Boston Red Sox (39-25) – The Red Sox weren’t picked by many people to have as good a season as they are having, but the have the best record in the AL, and have the lead in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, as this Red Sox team is showing that they are legit.

4.) New York Yankees (37-26) – A sweep at home of the Indians and then taking three out of four against the Mariners to start their West Coast trip has to have the injured Yankees feeling good. Long time Yankee Andy Pettitte also reached the 250 win milestone this week.

5.) Texas Rangers (37-25) – A bit of a tough week on the East Coast has slimmed the Rangers lead the in AL West down a bit, as they lost four out of six to the Blue Jays and Red Sox this past week. Yu Darvish is still dealing, and heading back to Texas should get the Rangers on track.

6.) Oakland Athletics (38-27) – Bartolo Colon has been great of late leading the Athletics rotation, which is starting to get hot. Colon now has seven wins this season, and his only given up six runs in his last five starts, which is remarkable.

7.) Cincinnati Reds (37-26) – The Reds bullpen has cost them a lot of games already this season, and their last home-stand was when they may have been at their worst this season allowing 23 runs in those games.

8.) Pittsburgh Pirates (37-26) – Starling Marte has really struggled of late, and sweep to the Braves didn’t help the Pirates gain ground in the NL Central this week. Gerrit Cole is going to making his debut soon, which should help a rotation that has been banged up lately.

9.) Detroit Tigers (35-26) – Justin Verlander has eight wins, but is fourth on the Tigers rotation in ERA at 3.71, which isn’t what people are use to seeing from Verlander. Austin Jackson is making a rehab start on Monday, so expect him to be back in the powerful Tigers lineup very soon.

10.) Baltimore Orioles (35-28) – Starting Pitching has been an issue for the Orioles so far this season, but their good offense led by Chris Davis is still winning games for the Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen is getting healthier and will be a welcomed sight back in the rotation.

11.) Arizona Diamondbacks (35-28) – Patrick Corban is still dealing for the Diamondbacks with nine wins and an ERA under two, but Wade Miley has really struggled lately, as he is now (4-5) with an ERA closing in on five.

12.) Tampa Bay Rays (34-28) – Matt Moore has struggled in his last two starts allowing 15 runs in those two appearances, which has to be a little concerning for the Rays. David Price is due back towards the end of the month, as the Rays look to keeping playing well without their ace.

13.) San Francisco Giants (33-29) – The Giants only had five games this week, but did go (3-2), as they continue to hope that their pitchers will figure things out and get back on track. The offense has still been very good with five starters hitting .285 or higher.

14.) Colorado Rockies (34-30) – A powerful offense for the Rockies has kept the over .500 still this season, and they used their bats to get a nice series win to start the week on the road in Cincinnati. Troy Tulowitzki is having an MVP type season hitting .354 with 16 homeruns and 51 RBIs.

15.) Washington Nationals (31-31) – Washington is trying to tread water with their two young phenoms on the DL in Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. A trip to Colorado to start the week may spark an offense that has been showing signs of coming alive finally.

16.) Philadelphia Phillies (31-33) – For whatever reason the Phillies seem to have a problem beating the Brewers, and after making it over .500 in the middle of the week, three straight losses to Milwaukee put them right back under .500.

17.) Kansas City Royals (28-32) – The Royals pitching is finally getting some help from their lineup, which has resulted in the Royals going on a five-game winning streak. A big series to start the week against the Tigers can really help or hurt the surging Royals.

18.) San Diego Padres (29-34) – The Padres may have had a losing week, but they are getting great play from rookie Jedd Gyorko at Second base, as he is hitting .284 with a team-leading eight homeruns to go along with 25 RBIs.

19.) Cleveland Indians (30-32) – The Indians are free falling right now losing seven straight games, and injuries to Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera wont help them win games. Next week the Indians start with a series against the Rangers, which may make the losing streak even worse.

20.) Minnesota Twins (27-33) – Minnesota doesn’t seem to have a whole lot going for them right now a (2-4) week was capped off with losing both games to the Nationals in their double-header on Sunday.

21.) Los Angeles Dodgers (27-35) – Yasiel Puig's first week in the majors was a memorable one, as the young Outfielder has sparked the Dodgers. Puig is hitting .464 with four homeruns and 10 RBIs in his first seven games.

22.) Toronto Blue Jays (27-35) – Things might be on the up for the Blue Jays, as their pitching was very good this week, as they got good starts from R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. A nice series win a home against the Rangers is a start in the right direction for Toronto.

23.) Chicago White Sox (27-34) – The White Sox are the second worst team in baseball in scoring runs, and that in large part is due to the struggles on Paul Konerko, who is having a bad year in the middle of the lineup. Konerko is hitting just .235 with six homeruns and 23 RBIs.

24.) Los Angeles Angels (27-36) – Huge week is coming up for the Angels with series against the Orioles and Yankees. If the Angels want to make the playoffs they need to start winning games against teams ahead of them in the standings, and really just games against anyone.

25.) Seattle Mariners (27-37) – Seattle's offense continues to struggle and spoil good starts from Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Poor pitching from the other three Starters and poor hitting has led to the Mariners being 10 games under .500

26.) Milwaukee Brewers (25-37) – Brewers pitching showed up on the weekend against the Phillies, which resulted in them taking three out of four in their weekend series. Kyle Lohse had one of his best starts of the year on Sunday in earning his second win, something the Brewers need him to keep up.

27.) Chicago Cubs (25-35) – Cubs star Shortstop Starlin Castro is still having a bad season, which is really hurting the Cubs offense right now. Castro is only hitting .243 with three homeruns and 21 RBIs, numbers which are way down for him.

28.) Houston Astros (22-42) – After an impressive week last week by the Astros the Royals gave them a reality check on the weekend holding them to just four runs in three games, which resulted in the Astros being swept.

29.) Miami Marlins (18-44) – Marcell Ozuna is an exciting young player to watch, as he had a huge throw getting Daniel Murphy out at the plate in the 20-inning game against the Mets on Saturday, and he is also hitting very well batting .331 this season.

30.) New York Mets (23-35) – The Mets have lost five straight games to the Marlins now who certainly have their number. Ike Davis struggles have finally gotten him sent down to the minors, but there is now viable option to replace him at First Base.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 9

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 9 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (37-19) – The Cardinals are certainly looking like the best team in baseball with a run differential of +84. It doesn’t seem to matter who the Cards use in the starting rotation, but they all have success, with a majors best team ERA of 2.99.

2.) Texas Rangers (35-21) – Texas looks good once again this year, as Yu Darvish is having a great sophomore season. Darvish is (7-2), with a ERA of 2.77, and a ridiculous 111 strikeouts already. Having an ace like Darvish should keep the Rangers high in the rankings from here on out.

3.) Cincinnati Reds (35-22) – Considering they play in one of the more hitter friendly ballparks in all of baseball it is amazing that the Reds have the third best team ERA in baseball. Good pitching and a talented lineup is the Reds recipe for playing so well thus far.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (35-22) – The Pirates started the week with an impressive series win over the Tigers taking three out of four games, and they finished the week with a thrilling extra-innings win over the Reds, as their bullpen went 10 scoreless innings in relief. The Pirates are 13 games over .500, and seem like a real threat to the Cardinals and Reds in the NL Central.

5.) Oakland Athletics (34-24) – The young arms for the Athletics seem to be looking like they did last year, which is why they have one nine out of their 10 ball games. The great stretch of baseball the Athletics have been on has put them right back behind Texas for the division lead.

Kuroda Leaves Early as Yankees Fall to Orioles

northjersey.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 22nd, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 3 Orioles 6

The New York Yankees lost the rubber game of the series to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, as Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda was forced to leave the game early. The loss moves the Yankees to (28-18) on the season, and they still hold a lead in the AL East.

Kuroda got the start for the Yankees, and was their best pitcher thus far this season, but on Wednesday he was forced to leave the game early with a calf injury. Kuroda was hit hard before he had to leave the game in the third inning, as he gave up two homeruns to Nick Markakis and Chris Davis in the first inning. Kuroda’s final line was two innings pitched, while allowing five runs on eight hits.

Orioles Defeat Yankees in Extra-Innings Rematch

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 21st, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Orioles 3

The New York Yankees after an extra-innings win against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday suffered an extra-innings loss on Tuesday to the Orioles in 10 innings. The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak against AL East opponents, and moves the Yankees to (28-17) on the year.

Phil Hughes, after the worst start of his career bounced back nicely against the good offense of the Orioles, but his efforts only earned him a no-decision. Hughes went six innings allowing on two runs on five hits, with two walks, and five strikeouts. Hughes’ former teammate Chris Dickerson was a real thorn in his side, as Dickerson hit two solo-homeruns in the third and fifth innings off Hughes.

Yankees Pull Out Extra Innings Win Against Orioles

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 20^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles

Final Score: Yankees 6 Orioles 4

The New York Yankees were able to pull out a victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday in what was a back and forth game that took extra innings to decide a winner. The extra innings win moves the Yankees to (28-16) on the season with a nice 1.5 game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Once again Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia looked far from his normal ace form, and with his velocity down, Sabathia may no longer be the pitcher were use to seeing. Sabathia went 6.1 innings allowing four runs on 11 hits, and only had two strikeouts. It is Sabathia's second straight start that he has allowed double-digit hits, which is the first time that he has done that in his career, and he blew Yankees leads twice in the game, something that aces are not suppose to do.

MLB Power Rankings Week 6

msn.foxsports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 6 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (23-13) - The Cardinals have made the jump into first place in the Power Rankings this week for the first time this season. Pitching has been what’s gotten them into the top spot, as they have the best team ERA, and the most quality starts in baseball.

2.) Texas Rangers (24-13) - The Rangers are playing very good baseball this season, as they are in the top 10 in most pitching and hitting categories. The good balance from the Rangers has given them the best record in the American League.

3.) New York Yankees (23-13) - The Yankees are still finding ways to win despite having almost an entire starting lineup on the DL. They are winning a lot of close games, and having Mariano Rivera at the back end of the bullpen is a sure thing this season, as he is 15 for 15 in save opportunities

Yankees Win Rubber Game of Series with Orioles

espn.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 14th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees

Final Score: Orioles 0 Yankees 3

The Yankees were able to take the rubber game of the series against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday Night Baseball, as Yankees Starter Hiroki Kuroda was sensational in the win.

Kuroda pitched went the distance in the complete game shutout, which was his fifth of his career. Kuroda only gave up five hits in his nine innings of work, and was able to striking out five batters. The win moves Kuroda to (2-1) on the season, and helped his ERA go from a 6.75 to a 2.87.

The Orioles Start Wei-Yin Chen also pitched very well, but was out dueled by Kuroda in this one. Chen went six innings allowing only three runs on six hits, and one walk. Chen was matching Kuroda until the fifth inning when the Yankees were finally able to strike first.

Brennan Boesch getting the start in Right Field went two for three at the plate, and was able to score the first run of the game on a Jayson Nix sacrifice fly. Boesch in his limited time has played well thus far for the Yankees, as he is batting .313.

Overall the bottom of the Yankee order did very well, as Boesch, Francisco Cervelli, Lyle Overbay, and Jayson Nix combined for five hits, and one walk. The production from the bottom of the order was a real difference maker for the Yankees with the heart of the order not getting a hit.

Leadoff hitter Brett Gardner provided the pop in this one in the fifth inning with a moon-shot off the top of the foul pole, which scored Cervelli. For Gardner, who isn’t known as a power hitter by any means it was his second homerun of the season.

The Yankees will be starting their first Inter-League series of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a re-match of the great 2001 World Series, as Ivan Nova (0-1, 7.71) will be facing Brandon McCarthy (0-1, 7.71).

Yankees Have 4 Game Winning Streak Snapped by Orioles

sbnation.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 13th, 2013

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees

Final Score: Orioles 5 Yankees 3

The New York Yankees fell to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday afternoon, as the Yankees four game winning streak came to an end, and with the loss Sunday will be rubber game of the first series between these two teams.

Yankees Starter Phil Hughes got roughed up in his second start of the season, and for the second time couldn’t make it to the fifth inning, as he doesn’t look right due to missing a lot of spring training with the neck injury. Hughes went only three innings, while allowing five runs on nine hits, and two walks. Giving up homeruns was a problem for Hughes last year, and on Saturday it was one again, as he gave up three solo-homeruns to Ryan Flaherty, Nick Markakis, and Nolan Reimold.