Yankees, Orioles Clash in Pivotal Series Finale at Oriole Park

BALTIMORE, Md. — The crack of the bat echoed through Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles continued their early-season battle for momentum in the tightly contested American League East. With the third and final game of the series set to wrap up on Wednesday night, both clubs entered the finale with vastly different short-term goals — but both hungry for a win.

For the Yankees, it’s about continuing a powerful surge through the division. For the Orioles, it’s about salvaging a tough home series and beginning to right the ship before May rolls in.

Heading into Wednesday night’s game, the Yankees stood at 17-12 — a strong start to the 2025 campaign that has them firmly in contention atop the AL East. Powered by a mix of veteran sluggers and youthful contributors, New York has managed to weather early injuries and inconsistencies to maintain their edge over division rivals.

The Orioles, meanwhile, came in at 11-17. After a promising 101-win season in 2023 and a playoff run in 2024, Baltimore’s early 2025 struggles have been jarring. Though it’s still early in the season, their 11-17 record has sparked concern throughout the fanbase. The bats haven’t been as explosive, the rotation is banged up, and the bullpen has struggled to protect late leads. The third game of this series carries symbolic weight — a potential turning point if Baltimore can bounce back.

Baltimore took the opener on Monday night with a gutsy 5-4 win. Adley Rutschman delivered a clutch two-run double in the seventh inning, and closer Félix Bautista held on to seal the victory. Despite being outhit by the Yankees, the Orioles made their chances count, capitalizing on mistakes and showing flashes of the elite team they were expected to be.

Starter Cole Irvin kept the powerful Yankees lineup mostly in check, allowing just two runs across five innings, and the bullpen did just enough to secure the W. For a team in desperate need of momentum, it was a promising performance.

If the Orioles thought they’d found momentum, it was short-lived.

Tuesday night was a blowout in favor of the Bronx Bombers. New York erupted for a 15-3 win, shelling Orioles pitchers early and often. Aaron Judge went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs. Gleyber Torres added a bases-clearing double, and Anthony Volpe reached base four times and scored twice.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt gave manager Aaron Boone six solid innings, and the bullpen mopped up from there. For the Yankees, it was a showcase of their offensive ceiling — when healthy and clicking, their lineup is one of the deepest in baseball.

Wednesday night’s finale features a matchup between veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco and Orioles rookie Cade Povich.

Carrasco, 38, is working to reinvent himself in a Yankees rotation that has already faced injury woes. Gerrit Cole remains out, and Carlos Rodón has been inconsistent, making Carrasco’s presence valuable as a steady arm. While he doesn’t light up the radar gun anymore, he’s using experience and command to keep hitters off balance.

Povich, meanwhile, is trying to prove he belongs. The left-hander was part of the return in the Jorge López trade with Minnesota and brings a mix of deception and command. His 5.04 ERA doesn’t tell the full story — he’s shown flashes of potential but has yet to string together consistent outings.

This will be a pressure-filled start for Povich, especially coming off a game where the bullpen was overtaxed. Baltimore needs at least five innings from him. The Yankees, on the other hand, will look to jump on the rookie early, forcing Brandon Hyde to dip back into a depleted bullpen.

After being steamrolled Tuesday night, the Orioles need to punch back early. A scoreless first three innings could give the Camden Yards crowd something to rally around. Anything resembling the offensive explosion from the Yankees on Tuesday would be devastating.

Gunnar Henderson, who leads the team with seven home runs, will be counted on to spark something from the top of the order. Jorge Mateo and Cedric Mullins also need to apply pressure with speed and contact.

Carrasco has looked solid in his last two outings, mixing his off-speed pitches effectively and drawing soft contact. He’ll need to be sharp again, especially against a top-heavy Orioles lineup that tends to feast on mistakes.

If Carrasco can give Boone five innings of two-run ball or better, the Yankees bullpen should be in good shape to lock it down.

The Yankees lead the AL in walks drawn and are one of the most patient teams in the league. That spells potential trouble for Povich, who has struggled with command at times. If he can’t get ahead in counts, hitters like Judge, Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton will sit on fastballs and make him pay.

• Aaron Judge (Yankees): After a slow April, the Yankees captain is heating up. He’s homered in back-to-back games and looks poised to go on one of his trademark hot streaks.

• Gunnar Henderson (Orioles): Batting .283 with seven home runs, Henderson has been Baltimore’s most consistent threat. If he can reach base twice tonight, Baltimore’s chances increase dramatically.

• Adley Rutschman (Orioles): The heart and soul of the team, Rutschman needs to be the offensive spark and defensive anchor. Expect him to be tested by the Yankees’ base runners.

• Anthony Volpe (Yankees): The sophomore shortstop has quietly been one of the Yankees’ best players this season. He leads the team in stolen bases and continues to play elite defense.

After Tuesday’s rout, both teams would love to avoid overusing their bullpen.

The Yankees had the luxury of resting key relievers like Clay Holmes and Jonathan Loáisiga on Tuesday. If the game is close in the late innings, they’ll be fresh and available.

Baltimore, however, had to burn through five relievers after Kyle Bradish’s early exit. Closer Félix Bautista likely won’t be available after pitching Monday and warming up Tuesday. That means middle relievers like Danny Coulombe and Keegan Akin may have to pitch in high-leverage situations.

For the Yankees, it’s all about keeping the pressure on in the AL East. A win tonight would give them a 2-1 series victory and keep them in a dogfight with the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, who have also started strong.

For the Orioles, it’s damage control. A loss would mean dropping to 11-18, a far cry from their dominant 2023 and 2024 starts. Fans and front office alike are already growing impatient. A win won’t fix everything — but it might stop the bleeding.

Although it’s still early in the season, division matchups carry added weight. In the new playoff format, only the top division winners get first-round byes — and every win over an AL East rival is doubly valuable.

For Baltimore, the Yankees represent a measuring stick. After finishing behind them last year, the Orioles were expected to compete toe-to-toe in 2025. So far, that hasn’t happened. If Baltimore wants to stay in the conversation, they need to start winning series like this.

Fans in both cities have been vocal on social media and talk radio.

Yankees fans are starting to believe this could be the team to make a deep October run — especially with the additions of Juan Soto and a healthy bullpen. The 15-run outburst Tuesday only added fuel to that hope.

Orioles fans, however, are beginning to wonder what went wrong. The rebuild was supposed to be over. The kids had arrived. Why, then, is the team struggling to win games? Hyde’s management of the bullpen and inconsistent lineup construction have drawn criticism.