Yankees-Orioles Series Preview

The Yankees and Orioles will play three at one of baseball's best ballparks, Camden Yards, over the weekend.  New York comes off a series loss in which it lost two of three to Texas.  Baltimore comes off a four-game series split with Cleveland. Here is a Yanks-Birds series preview.There are two keys to this series for the Yankees.  One, they have to hit with runners in scoring position, which they have not done the last month-plus.  Two, Yankee pitching MUST put hitters away when they get two strikes.  Baltimore is a good situational hitting team and they don't give at-bats away, even with two strikes.

Player to watch:  Ichiro Suzuki.  Ichiro is on fire.  The future Hall of Famer had six hits, two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI during the Texas series.

Camden the beautiful.  Camden Yards is a special place.  It is the original of the wave of ballparks built starting in the 1990's that have the new corporate boxes and luxury suites and seats, yet old style characteristics.  There should be packed crowds for all three games.  The Orioles, a proud franchise, are almost all the way back, and the fans are back too.

Pitching match-ups:  Friday:  CC Sabathia (8-5, 4.09 ERA) vs. T.J. McFarland (1-0, 4.14 ERA).  Saturday:  David Phelps (5-4, 4.01) vs. Zach Britton (1-2, 5.51).  Sunday:  Hiroki Kuroda (7-5, 2.77) vs. RHP Chris Tillman (9-2, 3.72).

Prediction:  Yankees take two of three.  These teams play great games.  The Yanks always play well at Camden Yards.  And they have the pitching lined-up.  Truth is, every one of these games is a toss-up.

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeLSports.