Orioles-Yankees Preview - MLB

Baltimore (41-60) at New York (61-41)
The New York Yankees utterly dominate the Baltimore Orioles, partly thanks to Robinson Cano(notes).

Cano looks to snap out of a brief slump and spur the Yankees to a seventh straight win over the Orioles in the opener of this four-game series Friday night.

New York (61-41) has won 30 of the last 37 meetings with Baltimore (41-60), including all six this year by a combined score of 51-18. The Yankees swept a rain-shortened two-game set in the Bronx from April 13-14, improving to 20-4 in the past 24 as host.

The makeup game from that series will be played Saturday as part of a doubleheader.

Cano tends to do significant damage against the Orioles with a .351 average in 105 career meetings - including at least one hit in each of the last 18. His 19 homers off Baltimore pitching are his most against any team.

The All-Star second baseman, though, is 2 for 16 with one RBI and two errors in his last four games overall.

A.J. Burnett(notes) (8-8, 4.21 ERA) is looking to shake out of a rough stretch of his own.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 4.94 ERA and 16 walks in four starts this month, getting pulled before completing the sixth inning in each of the last three.

He allowed three runs and six hits with three walks and two hit batters in 5 2-3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Oakland on Saturday.

“I just thought he ran out of gas,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I thought he threw the ball really well.”

Burnett is 5-3 with a 4.16 ERA in 10 starts against Baltimore since joining the Yankees in 2009.

He was credited with a 7-4 home win over the Orioles on April 13, cruising through six scoreless innings before giving up a pair of two-run homers in the seventh and getting pulled with one out.

If Burnett struggles again, the Yankees may give Rafael Soriano(notes) his first appearance since May 13. The right-handed reliever is expected to be activated from the 60-day disabled list before the game.

Soriano allowed four runs in 4 1-3 innings over four minor league outings while rehabilitating an elbow injury.

“I’m not concerned about it, but time will tell,” Girardi told the Yankees’ website about returning Soriano to the setup role. “I wouldn’t think it would be a guy that would have a huge confidence issue because of all the success he’s had. But it’s something we’ll look for, if there is a problem.”

The Orioles’ 15-32 road record is the worst in the majors, and they’ve dropped 13 of the last 15 as the visitors after falling 8-5 at Toronto on Thursday.

Giving the ball to Jeremy Guthrie(notes) (4-14, 4.33) doesn’t seem like an ideal way to improve upon that. The right-hander has lost each of his last seven starts against the Yankees, posting a 6.75 ERA in that stretch.

He’s 0-8 with a 4.61 ERA in his last nine road outings - eight starts - since winning the season opener at Tampa Bay.

Guthrie, who has been the subject of trade rumors leading up to Sunday’s deadline, fell to 1-5 in July by allowing three runs and six hits with four walks in seven innings of a 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

He’s gotten nine runs of support in 34 1-3 innings this month.