Orioles at Yankees
Michael Pineda has been terrific over the first month of the season. The New York Yankees' right-hander looks to build off his best start of the campaign Sunday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles - the only team to inflict significant damage on Pineda this year.
Baltimore reached the 26-year-old Dominican for five runs and nine hits - both season highs for Pineda - on April 13. However, Pineda won that start 6-5 as part of a personal six-game winning streak that dates back to last September. The Orioles will counter on Sunday with Bud Norris, who is expected to take the mound despite leaving Saturday's game early with a minor illness. Baltimore snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday, posting a 6-2 victory behind three home runs that backed a solid start from Wei-Yin Chen.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Bud Norris (1-3, 9.75 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (4-0, 2.97)
Norris worked a season-high seven innings his last time out, allowing three runs in a 3-2 loss to the New York Mets. Norris gave up three runs in five innings against the Yankees on April 15 and has poor career numbers against several Yankees starters. "I feel confident Bud will be fine. Just wanted to get ahead of it," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter told reporters Saturday, referring to the team's decision to send Norris back to the hotel. "We did some things with our 'pen today to make sure that we can cover it (in case he can't go deep Sunday)."
Pineda has given up three runs or fewer in every start this season, aside from his poor outing against Baltimore last month. The Orioles player with the most experience against Pineda is Adam Jones (5-for-14 with a double and a home run). Chris Davis, on the other hand, is 1-for-8 with six strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Carlos Beltran, Stephen Drew and Chase Headley all have career averages of at least .333 against Norris. Alex Rodriguez is 2-for-2 with a homer against him.
2. Baltimore DH Jimmy Paredes has 25 hits this season - 12 for extra bases.
3. Davis homered Saturday but also struck out at least once for the ninth straight game.