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The Orioles were on the wrong end of a four-game sweep the last time they played New York. Baltimore is guaranteed to avoid the same fate in this series as the Yankees are only in town for three.

Baltimore lost three in a row before picking up a 2-1 win on Sunday. The Orioles found a way to win despite another low offensive output. Baltimore has only eclipsed four runs in two of their last 10 games. The Yankees won each of the last four matchups by at least five runs.

Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman have attempted to keep the ship afloat while several Orioles struggle. Pete Alonso appeared to experience a jolt during his return to New York. Gunnar Henderson has yet to find his groove, but this series would mark a fine time to get things going.

Rico Garcia remains a bright spot for a bullpen that has been asked to carry a heavy load. Bassitt technically didn’t start on Sunday, but he turned in his best appearance of the year. Perhaps that appearance will help set the tone for a rotation that has disappointed to this point of the season. A healthy Trevor Rogers should help the cause as well.

The Yankees will look to take out some frustration on the Orioles after getting swept out of Milwaukee. The Brewers beat New York 4-3 during the series finale on Mother’s Day.

Game 1: Monday, May 11, 6:35. MASN

RHP Brandon Young (3-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.03 ERA)

Brandon Young is the only starter that the Orioles have officially named for this series. Young settled after an early hiccup and delivered a quality start his last time out against the Marlins. The Orioles need Young to turn in consistent outings with Cade Povich joining Rogers, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin on the injured list. The righty did not face the Yankees in the previous series.

The Orioles tallied three runs against Weathers last week but only one of the three runs were earned. Alonso tagged a solo homer in the fourth, but Weathers cruised to his second victory of the season.

Game 2: Tuesday, May 12, 6:35. MASN

TBD vs. RHP Will Warren (4-1, 3.46 ERA)

The Orioles have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday’s game. Trevor Rogers recently told reporters that he does not expect to go on a rehab assignment after hitting the 15-day IL with an illness. Rogers would be eligible to come off the injured list for this appearance, and he recently threw a bullpen that could lineup with a start on Tuesday. Trey Gibson is currently with the team after pitching two innings of relief on Friday.

Warren coasted to his fourth victory against the Orioles last week. The Yankee starter tossed 6.1 innings while limiting Baltimore to three hits, two runs (one earned), and one walk. Warren struck out nine batters, but Alonso did manage to take him yard.

Game 3: Wednesday, May 13, 6:35. MASN

TBD vs. LHP Max Fried (4-2, 2.91 ERA)

Kyle Bradish could start Game 3 after tossing seven strong innings on Friday. The righty struck out 10 batters while limiting the Athletics to three runs, but Baltimore’s offense failed to pick him up after a frustrating fifth inning. Still, the results were the most encouraging that Bradish has delivered this season. The Orioles would absolutely love for Bradish to reestablish himself as a top-of-the-rotation arm, and he could have an opportunity to do just that in the series finale.

Baltimore had a chance to really get to Fried last week, but they let him off the hook with some poor performances with runners in scoring position. Fried still allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings, and he followed that outing with another pedestrian outing against the Brewers. Fried is still no joke on the mound, but the Orioles must take advantage if they catch him during another rough patch.

How do you think the Orioles will do in this three game series against the Yankees? Give us your prediction in the comments below!

Dodgers affiliates fought multiple opponents on Sunday — opposing offenses, and rain.

Player of the day

Great Lakes right fielder Jose Meza was in the middle of all three scoring innings for the Loons in Sunday’s win. He walked with the bases loaded in the third inning, hit a two-run double in the fourth, then doubled home another in the seventh.

Mesa tied his season high with four RBI (also done on April 21), and added a single in the eighth to match his season high of three hits (also April 5 and April 28).

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The series finale between the Comets and Salt Lake Bees (Angels) was canceled due to inclement weather.

The teams do not meet again in the first half of the season, so Sunday’s game will not be made up later this year.

Double-A Tulsa

A five-run seventh against Roque Gutierrez and Christian Suarez spelled doom for the Drillers in a rainy road loss to the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners).

Down three in the ninth, Tulsa got two-out walks by Kendall George and Josue De Paula, then a single by Kyle Nevin for one run before the game was delayed with the tying runs on base. Zyhir Hope was due to bat to see if the comeback could be completed, but the weather never cooperated and the game was called with two outs in the ninth.

You might remember Elijah Hainline from making some highlight defensive playsin the middle infield as one of the high-number crew who suited up for several games during spring training. Tulsa’s shortstop on Sunday made waves at the plate, with two singles, a double, a stolen base, scored two runs, and drove in another. He had three multi-hit games during this series in Arkansas.

The bats are alive 🔥

Hainline comes through with a single and Hope crosses the plate! pic.twitter.com/PKVbWfag4i

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) May 10, 2026

High-A Great Lakes

Meza delivered all four RBI by the Loons in their win over the Lake County Captains (Guardians), but Great Lakes scored seven runs in total. One of those other three runs came home on a balk, and the other two scored on a fielding error at third base.

Great Lakes thus far has eased Brooks Auger back from the injured list, missing about a month after a pulled groin in spring training. He’s lasted between two and three innings in his three starts so far, but the results are there, including five strikeouts in 2 2/3 scoreless frames on Sunday, allowing only two singles. In three games, Auger has allowed only one run in 7 2/3 innings, with 14 strikeouts against only two walks and a phenomenal 38.7-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate.

Jose Hernandez, promoted on Saturday, started at first base Sunday and was 0-for-3 with a walk and hit by pitch in his High-A debut.

Class-A Ontario

Jesus Tillero had a rough start, allowing eight runs while recording 10 outs in the Tower Buzzers’ loss to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Third baseman Chase Harlan had two hits, extending his hit streak to nine games. Jaron Elkins had two hits as the designated hitter on Sunday and stole two bases. Elkins, who stole 63 bases last season, has 16 steals in 19 attempts this season in 30 games.

Transactions

Triple-A: Right-hander Wyatt Mills was called up to the Dodgers bullpen, and Paul Gervase was optioned back to Oklahoma City.

Sunday scores

• Oklahoma City vs. Salt Lake, canceled (rain)
• Arkansas 8, Tulsa 6
• Great Lakes 7, Lake County 4
• Rancho Cucamonga 10, Ontario 2

The week ahead

• Oklahoma City at Albuquerque (Rockies)
• Tulsa vs. Springfield (Cardinals)
• Great Lakes vs. West Michigan (Tigers)
• Ontario vs. San Jose (Giants)

Dusty Baker infamously refused to play Yainer Diaz at catcher more than once or twice a week during his first full season in the big leagues in 2023. The reasoning was that he wasn’t ready for the rigors of everyday catching. What many of us pointed out at the time was that Diaz was a vastly superior hitter to the incumbent Martin Maldonado, and the defensive metrics seemed to point to the fact that he was also the superior catcher as well that season.

I was one of those ringing that bell continually that season. I stand by that analysis. This is because we could add in some other numbers that measure the so-called intangibles. Intangibles are things we are not able to measure. Fans, scouts, coaches, and historians often cite intangibles when trying to pick between two seemingly similar players. One of the core beliefs in the lab is that intangibles are things we are not able to measure yet. The yet is the key word there.

Pitch framing used to be a skill that people counted as an intangible. It was called that because we had not figured out how to measure it. We now have a stat for that, so it is no longer an intangible. Similarly, those that call themselves experts (some are and some just call themselves experts) point to handling of the pitching staff and calling a game as an intangible. Can’t we measure it?

It would seem pretty easy to do and most sites actually have a number for it. They call it “catcher ERA.” It is the simple calculation of the pitchers that have thrown to that catcher and what their ERA was while doing it. It seems so simple, but most hardcore statisticians don’t look at it for one important reason; second catchers usually catch one or two pitchers exclusively. If those pitchers are really good or really bad that will skew the results.

	Innings	rCERA	DRS	FRV
Yainer Diaz	192.1	0	-3	-3
Christian Vazquez	149.0	0	+3	+2

These are the numbers most people look at when they start breaking down the Gold Glove awards. Obviously, there are numbers based on how well a catcher blocks pitches and dirt and a number for how well they control the running game. These numbers get combined into fielding run value and defensive runs saved. It is easy to see here that the good folks at the Fielding Bible and Fangraphs like Vazquez’s work more than Diaz. They think both are fairly neutral when looking at how they are handling pitchers.

Are they equal though? Sometimes the oldest and most simple numbers are the best ones. Back in 2023, the Astros had a better record in games that Diaz caught and the pitchers seemed to do just as well. So, all of the anecdotal evidence that pitchers liked to throw to Maldonado more than Diaz wasn’t borne out in the actual numbers that pitchers were putting up.

This is the ultimate problem with the current narrative. The current narrative is that Dusty Baker was right not play Diaz and Chas McCormick more in 2023 because they both suck now. Every season exists in its own universe and it is up to the manager to discover as quickly as possible what that particular season has in store. So, who Diaz was or wasn’t in 2023 is immaterial. The question becomes who is Yainer Diaz right now and how successful is he working with pitchers?

There are only two crude numbers we are going to look at. First, we will look at the average number of runs per game that the team has allowed when these two catchers were starting. Vazquez has now started 17 games on the season while Diaz started 22 before he went down with an injury. So, we will look at the number of runs per game the team has allowed in those starts and the team’s won-loss record when those catchers caught. I will do the same thing with both Diaz and Martin Maldonado in 2023 to demonstrate what I’m talking about.

2026

	RPG	W-L
Yainer Diaz	5.64	7-15
Christian Vazquez	5.06	9-8

These numbers aren’t perfect. Diaz caught both of Hunter Brown’s starts and Vazquez caught all of the Imai starts. One could easily remove those to give this a more even look and we would see an even starker difference between the two. However, the point is pretty clear. Pitchers pitch better to Vazquez than they do to Diaz and the team is generally more successful. Obviously, Vazquez also currently has better offensive numbers, but even without the offensive numbers, the advantage would be there. Let me break down 2023 really quickly to demonstrate the difference.

2023

	R/G	W-L
Yainer Diaz	4.10	30-18
Martin Maldonado	4.54	60-54

As we move closer to Memorial Day we come to realize that every season exists in its own universe. So, the notion that Dusty Baker was right because Yainer Diaz currently is no good makes very little sense. Diaz was better offensively in 2023. He was better defensively in 2023. The Astros allowed fewer runs per game when he caught and they won a higher percentage of games when he caught. The decision to play Maldonado was based on past considerations that were no longer true.

Similarly, it will likely be true that Diaz will end up being better offensively than Vazquez. For one, he was just starting to hit before he went down. For another, Vazquez’s Statcast numbers clearly indicate That he is due to regress any minute now. Still, the Astros pitchers are clearly doing better pitching to Vazquez and the Astros as a team are performing better when Vazquez catches. It might end up being closer to one fewer run a game. There is no way that Diaz could produce that much additional damage offensively. So, Vazquez is demonstrating that he should be the guy.

The San Diego Padres were one pitch away from dropping their series to the St. Louis Cardinals, but Nick Castellanos changed the outcome of the game and the series with one swing of the bat. Castellanos was called on to pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. After breaking his bat and having to borrow a replacement from Fernando Tatis Jr., Castellanos hit a game-tying two-run home run on a 3-2 pitch deep into the left field bleachers. Petco Park erupted and wanted to see Ramon Laureano end the game with one swing of the bat. Instead, he struck out to end the inning.

San Diego was able to get through the top of the 10th inning without allowing the Manfred-man to score from second base. That set the stage for the Padres to get an extra-innings win in dramatic fashion. Laureano started at second base due to him being the final out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jackson Merrill was intentionally walked and Tatis Jr. worked a six-pitch walk off Cardinals reliver Gordon Graceffo to load the baes. Manny Machado stepped to the plate and lifted the first pitch into right-center field which allowed Laureano to tag up and score from third base to give the Padres a 3-2 extra-innings win.

Walker Buehler started the game for San Diego and pitched well. He made one mistake to the most dangerous hitter in the St. Louis lineup in Jordan Walker, and he deposited the pitch into the left field stands for a two-run home run. Buehler finished the game with two runs allowed on three hits through six innings with two strikeouts. The San Diego bullpen did not allow a hit over the final four innings with Ron Marinaccio throwing two hitless innings, followed by an inning from Bradgley Rodriguez, 2/3 of an inning from Jeremiah Estrada and 1/3 of an inning from Adrian Morejon.

The Padres are off Monday and will open a three-game series on the road in Milwaukee against the Brewers on Tuesday.

Padres News:

• With the injury to Luis Campusano the Padres needed to add another catcher to their roster and they did so by selecting Triple-A catcher Rodolfo Duran. There were some among the Friar Faithful who thought maybe top-prospect Ethan Salas would get the nod. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball believes San Diego made the right decision allowing Salas to continue to develop in the minors.

• Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the depth of the roster and the bullpen makes the Padres a “playoff-caliber club.“

• It would be difficult to see yourself in one specific role for most of your MLB experience and then be asked to change. Matt Waldron has his mind set on helping the team in any capacity.

Baseball News:

• The Milwaukee Brewers swept the New Yor Yankees for the first time in a century of baseball. Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones recorded his first MLB hit in the game with family in attendance.

• Eli White made the catch on a ball to the wall and helped lead the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The Texas Rangers shut out the Chicago Cubs on the strength of a vintage start from Jacob DeGrom.

This time a week ago, the Orioles season was in danger of spiraling out of control as they were in the middle of getting laughed out of the stadium in every game of a four-game set against the Yankees. Since then, they’ve stopped the tailspin for now, winning two against the Marlins and one against the Nationals. Now, the Yankees are up again and we’ll see if the Orioles can be more competitive this time.

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’ve given up on my comparison from a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of these Orioles following the 2014 team’s path to success. They’re not really holding on around .500. Instead, we have to look to the O’s southern neighbors, the Nationals, who were a hot mess in the end of May but eventually turned things around and went on to win the World Series. It’s a thin strand to hang on to.

Also in this episode, a listener sent in a question asking who makes the final decisions on the Orioles lineup each night. My answer is maybe my hottest take yet on this podcast, because nobody who reads this website seems to believe it: Manager Craig Albernaz. Bear with me and give it a listen as I explain why:

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This is my weekly podcast about whatever is going on lately with the Orioles. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to subscribe. You can get the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you prefer to access your podcasts.

How are you feeling about the way things are going with the Orioles right now? Answers could make it into the mailbag section of the next episode of the podcast.

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It's only a six-game slate tonight, but I've still found immense value in my MLB player props, including from the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, Corbin Carroll, and Drew Rasmussen. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Monday, May 11. 

Best MLB player props today

Nathan Eovaldi Over 5.5 strikeouts (+113)

Nathan Eovaldi has always had electrifying stuff. While the strikeout numbers this season aren't jumping off the page, he's still getting his fair share of swings and misses. Eovaldi has racked up 47 Ks in 47 2/3 innings of work. The right-hander has cashed the Over in punchouts in back-to-back outings, collecting 15 Ks during that span. 

In his most recent start, Eovaldi struck out eight Yankees. The Texas Rangers face the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight, and the D-Backs have struck out 8.33 times across their last three contests.

Eovaldi's stuff looks sharper lately, and he's also allowed just one earned run across his previous two appearances. He'll rack up the Ks again tonight. 

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN+

Corbin Carroll Over 1.5 total bases (+119)

I may be eyeing Eovaldi to deal, but one Arizona hitter who has had success against him is Corbin Carroll. It hasn't been a banner year so far for the outfielder, hitting just .258. However, he's had Eovaldi's number, going 5-for-13 lifetime with a double, triple, and home run. Carroll has also cashed the Over in total bases in two of his last four contests. 

The 25-year-old had a double in the series opener against the New York Mets on Friday, and he also went deep on Thursday against the Pirates.

Although he isn't exactly tearing the cover off the baseball in May, facing a guy whom he's hit well against before screams value here, especially given Carroll's extra-base potential vs Eovaldi, who has already allowed 10 homers in eight starts. 

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN+

Drew Rasmussen Over 4.5 strikeouts (-107)

Drew Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays will face the Toronto Blue Jays tonight, and his last start came against them. Rasmussen ultimately tossed six innings, striking out five. He's cashed the Over in Ks in three straight, clearing tonight's total quite easily in the two starts prior as well.

The righty has struck out 19 hitters in 18 2/3 innings of work on the road, and he's hit the Over in five of his seven outings overall this season.

While the Jays do a phenomenal job of putting the ball in play, Rasmussen has very good stuff, and his total is relatively low. Clearing five Ks for the fourth straight start shouldn't be difficult after he found a rhythm against this same lineup last week. 

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SN1, Rays.TV

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Detroit Tigers play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Tuesday.

---

5 things to watch

A Juan-derful resurgence?

Juan Soto remains one of the best hitters in baseball, but he’s coming off an awful nine-game road trip. Soto was just 4-for-33 (.121) with two RBI in Anaheim, Denver and Phoenix with a woeful .231 on-base percentage and .503 OPS. He was 0-for-10 in the series against the Diamondbacks.

In general, the Met attack is poor (more on that in a moment), and it’s near-impossible for the club to soar without Soto near his full powers. And because of his rep and contract, he’s perpetually in the spotlight. 

Maybe the homestand brings better results – Soto is batting .341 with a 1.010 OPS at Citi Field this season. 

Just plain offensive

Yes, the Mets are dealing with injuries to Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco, who were supposed to be key lineup cogs this season. But the undermanned version of their lineup is unimposing, to say the least, and they must wring more runs from it if they hope to rebound from their 15-25 start.

Overall, the Mets are averaging the second-fewest runs (3.48) in MLB. Only the woeful Giants (3.25) score less. The Mets have an MLB-worst .341 slugging percentage, 48 points below league average. And their OPS (.628) is also the lowest, 21 points below San Francisco’s and 81 points below average. 

They scored a total of five runs in dropping the Diamondbacks series, mustering only 12 hits. 

Ugh. 

Bo Bichette batted .194 on the road trip, including an 0-for-10 no-show in Arizona. Mark Vientos has offered the occasional power spurt, but he was 3-for-20 over the final five games of the trip. 

Detroit righty Jack Flaherty should get a start in the series, which brings us to a suggestion – be patient, Mets hitters. Flaherty has walked the third-most hitters in the majors this year and is averaging 6.89 free passes per nine. Let him clog the bases against himself.

Professor McGonigle 

Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle is one of the most impressive rookies in the majors, and his exploits will almost certainly impact this series. He’s an important part of their offense, especially with Gleyber Torres, Javy Báez and Kerry Carpenter out with injury.

The 21-year-old McGonigle, who has been batting leadoff or second, leads all rookies in hits, has an .830 OPS and more walks (23) than strikeouts (21). He’s also batting .429 with runners in scoring position, fourth in MLB, and was the AL Rookie of the Month for March/April.

Carson City

The Mets have a pulchritudinous rookie of their own in Carson Benge,and he might be emerging before our very eyes. Benge’s overall numbers aren’t so gorgeous (.207 average, .603 OPS), but he’s looked more and more comfortable as the season has progressed.

He’s always provided defense at all three outfield positions and he’s got speed, too (six-for-six in steal attempts). And he let none of that lapse while he struggled offensively. 

He’s a tougher out now, and the Mets, obviously, could use his blooming offense this week. Benge was 7-for-26 (.267) on the road trip with a .367 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging. He had three doubles, a home run and five RBI over the nine games. 

Cook at home

The Mets have endured a funky schedule so far, having gone west on three separate trips. That can’t be good for the body clock, right? But they only travel to the West Coast once more, next month, meaning their travel should get easier the rest of the way. 

So it’s time to start taking advantage of home-field advantage, starting with this Detroit series. The Tigers are 7-16 on the road, the worst away mark in baseball. 

The Mets are just 6-12 at Citi Field so far, the second-worst home record in baseball. They were a robust 49-32 at home last year. 

Sure would be good to create some atmosphere in Queens by playing well against Detroit, especially with the first installment of the Subway Series against the Yankees looming this weekend.

Predictions

Who will be the series MVP?

Juan Soto

He’s just too good, with too much of a track record, for his woes to go on too much longer. 

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Freddy Peralta

Peralta, who starts the series opener Tuesday, seems to be heating up with a 1.62 ERA over his last three starts, though the Mets probably would like him to deliver more innings per start – he’s pitched six innings only twice in eight outings.

Which D-Backs player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Riley Greene

Greene, a two-time All-Star who has a 21-game on-base streak, is tied for second in MLB with 13 doubles, is 10th in batting (.317) and has a .908 OPS.