NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE 8/26/2018 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview

All the New York Yankees needed to start chipping away at their deficit in the American League East was a run of games against losing clubs. The Yankees will try to polish off a four-game sweep of one such team when they visit the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

New York (82-47) swept a doubleheader from the major league-worst Orioles on Saturday by a combined 15-4 to pull within seven games of division rival Boston atop the AL East. “We’re in a tough stretch right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “We’re beat up and guys are just grinding away. To get a couple of wins today, it’s huge for us. Hopefully, we can finish off a great series tomorrow.” Baltimore (37-93) dropped 56 games under .500 with Saturday’s losses and is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak that saw it surrender an average of seven runs. The Orioles will try to stop the bleeding with right-hander Dylan Bundy while the Yankees hope a couple of extra days off will help righty Luis Severino get back on track.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (16-6, 3.28 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (7-12, 5.31)

Severino appears to slowly be making his way out of a prolonged slump and is coming off a win after holding Toronto to two runs and six hits in five innings on Aug. 18. The Dominican Republic native was carrying a 1.98 ERA through July 1 but is 3-4 with a 7.02 ERA and a .341 opponent’s batting average over his last eight outings. Severino is seeing Baltimore for the first time this season and went 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in four starts against the division rivals in 2017.

Bundy has struggled mightily in his last three outings, allowing a total of 22 runs – 21 earned – and 29 hits in 14 1/3 innings against Boston, the New York Metsdoubleheaderand Toronto. The Oklahoma native was ripped for six home runs in that span and leads the majors with 33 homers allowed. Bundy served up one homer against the Yankees on July 11 and suffered the loss while allowing five runs on five hits and four walks in four innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Yankees clinched their 26th consecutive winning season Saturday.

2. Baltimore INF Jonathan Villar went 0-for-9 with a pair of strikeouts during the doubleheader after a three-hit game in Friday’s series opener.

3. New York C Gary Sanchez (groin) played in a minor-league game Saturday.

PREDICTION: Yankees 12, Orioles 6