Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 5/3

The New York Yankees were swept away by the Boston Red Sox this weekend, how sweep it was not, but luckily for the team they had an off day to lick their wounds and mentally prepare for another tough division foe in the Baltimore Orioles. The season is not over Yankees fans, news flash I know, but it can be rather soon with this series and another Red Sox series looming in the Bronx over the weekend. There is already pressure on every Yankees player every at bat and with every pitch thrown and with every loss the pressure gets more and more immense. Donned with the task of not only getting the Yankees a win but alleviating some of that pressure is Luis Severino while the Orioles will counter with one of their best in Chris Tillman.

Severino has not had the start to the season he nor the Yankees would have liked after a strong debut in 2015. Severino has shown poor command of not only his fastball but of his slider as well and has been seen shaking off veteran catcher Brian McCann far too much. That shaking off landed Severino on the bench in his last start after just three innings due to him giving up six earned runs on seven hits in yet another bad start for the rookie right-hander.

Tillman started Opening Day for the Orioles but has not lived up to the distinction and the hype that usually comes along with that honor thus far this season. Tillman did have an impressive start last time out against the Tampa Bay Rays but has looked inconsistent for much of the season, a trend that he hopefully gets back to tonight in Camden Yards.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Oriole Park and Camden Yards and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. The last place team in the American League East Division against the first place team in the division. With this series this week and another Red Sox series looming in the distance this weekend New York is primed to make a move back towards the top of the division. Whether they are ready and able to do it is a whole other story unfortunately. It all starts tonight in Baltimore.

Go Yankees!

Chris Davis & Fantasy Baseball

The last time a member of the Baltimore Orioles did not lead Major League Baseball in home runs was the 2012 season. In 2012 Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers hit 44 home runs while Chris Davis led the league with 53 home runs in 2013. In 2014 it was Nelson Cruz who led the league in home runs for the Orioles with 40 dingers while Davis led the league in home runs once again in 2015 when he finished the season killing the New York Yankees hitting his 45th, 46th and 47th home runs of the season. Davis hit free agency following the 2015 campaign and ultimately returned to Baltimore on a huge seven year deal giving the Orioles a legit home run threat in their lineup but what will it do for your fantasy team?

Davis is a legit first round pick in my opinion. He has 50 home run power and especially has 50 home run power inside of Oriole Park in Camden Yards. At Camden Yards Davis is a career .270/.352/.575 hitter with 159 home runs in four seasons in Baltimore and is now entering the peak of his prime at 30-years old. Could these numbers conceivably get better in 2016?

Davis should have plenty of protection in this year's Orioles lineup as Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Manny Machado and Matt Wieters and Davis adds versatility to your fantasy team as he is eligible at first base and the outfield. Davis is still going to hit around .250 and he's still going to strike out 200+ times a season but the 40-50 home runs are damn near impossible to find right now. For that alone I would take Davis early if you can, you can get your batting average elsewhere. You can't get home runs elsewhere. Get Davis if you can.

Game 162 Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/4

Game 162, here we go. We won't waste much time being colorful, creative or dramatic. The New York Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound this afternoon to face off with Chris Tillman for the Baltimore Orioles. The game will be played at 3:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees return to the postseason on Tuesday so click the Yankees Tickets link to see that game live and in person. If you can't make it live then at least jump on Twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow to interact with us and root like hell for the Yankees in the Wild Card Game.

Game 162. Go Yankees!

Game 162 Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/4

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, Game 162. One last time. The New York Yankees are playing on Tuesday and the Orioles are not, the lineups and pitching moves will probably reflect that this afternoon. In the final start of the season the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound lining him up for a potential Game Two start in the ALDS while the Orioles counter with Chris Tillman. The game will be played at 3:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV (for free).

• Pineda did not have a great start last time out against the Boston Red Sox giving up six runs in the first inning and seven runs total in a Yankees loss. Pineda needs a good start this afternoon against the Orioles in his final regular season tune up. 

• Tillman was the Orioles prestigious Opening Day starter and is now the pitcher who will star game 162 for the ball club. Tillman last faced the Toronto Blue Jays where he allowed just two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings against the best offense in Major League Baseball this season.

Game 162. Have fun, stay healthy, clinch home field advantage and get the work in. Go Yankees!

GAME ONE Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/3

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are ready to kick off the final weekend of the regular season in Major League Baseball with a head-to-head matchup. These two teams have fought one another in the American League East Division all season long and one team, the Yankees, will get rewarded for it with a postseason trip back home to Yankee Stadium while the Fighting Showalter’s are playing mere spoilers in these final three games. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound this afternoon in the first game of the double header to face off with the Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen. The game will be played at 12:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The American League Wild Card playoff game will be played on Tuesday, October 6 in the Bronx, New York in front of the Yankee Stadium crowd. While the team that New York will be playing host to, rather rudely we hope, is yet to be determined all eyes will be on New York City that night. It’s up to us, the fans, to fill that stadium and rock the house and you can do that by clicking the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog and by getting your postseason tickets now. Moral support works as well so be sure to head over to Twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow to root for the home team from afar and celebrate together as the team reaches the postseason for the first time since 2012.

The postseason won’t be the same for me without the Core Four but a win tonight and a win next Tuesday can ease my suffering just a tad. Go Yankees!

GAME ONE Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/3

Welcome to October baseball Yankees family and welcome to a series that is not against either the Chicago White Sox or the Boston Red Sox. A show of hands if you’re reading this and you’re happy that the Yankees and the Red Sox are done playing head-to-head in 2015? Me too. The Yankees enter their final three games of the regular season with the Wild Card locked up and a postseason game in the Bronx looming, now their biggest battle will be with Mother Nature. Today the Yankees are scheduled to send Ivan Nova to the mound in the first game of the double-header to face off against Wei-Yin Chen for the Orioles. The game will be played at 12:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Nova has looked great since his return to the Yankees starting rotation and may be pitching for his position on the team and with the franchise in 2016. The Yankees have a plethora of names to fill the 2016 starting rotation and it may become a numbers game this winter, a numbers game that Nova doesn't want to lose.

• Chen will be making his final start of the season tonight and possibly his last start in a Baltimore Orioles uniform as he looks to hit free agency on a high note. Chen has had his best Major League season at the best possible time in 2015 posting a 3.35 ERA and 150 strikeouts. Chen is likely to become too expensive for the Orioles budget this winter.

Three more games separate the teams that are planning golfing ventures and trip to Disney with their families from the teams who get the prestige and the honor to play in the postseason. It may be just a Wild Card berth and it may only be for one game but it’s an experience and it’s an accomplishment for these teams no matter the circumstances. Us as fans are spoiled, and we’re entitled to be so, but you have to keep in mind that the human beings behind the uniforms have their same rights and entitlements. Let them celebrate and let them be happy, they earned it. Just not this week. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 10/2

Welcome to October baseball Yankees family and welcome to a series that is not against either the Chicago White Sox or the Boston Red Sox. A show of hands if you’re reading this and you’re happy that the Yankees and the Red Sox are done playing head-to-head in 2015? Me too. The Yankees enter their final three games of the regular season with the Wild Card all but locked up and a postseason game in the Bronx looming, now their biggest battle will be with Mother Nature. Tonight the Yankees are scheduled to send a TBA (at the time of this writing) to the mound to face off against Wei-Yin Chen for the Orioles, weather permitting. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• TBA

• Chen will be making his final start of the season tonight and possibly his last start in a Baltimore Orioles uniform as he looks to hit free agency on a high note. Chen has had his best Major League season at the best possible time in 2015 posting a 3.35 ERA and 150 strikeouts. Chen is likely to become too expensive for the Orioles budget this winter.

Three more games separate the teams that are planning golfing ventures and trip to Disney with their families from the teams who get the prestige and the honor to play in the postseason. It may be just a Wild Card berth and it may only be for one game but it’s an experience and it’s an accomplishment for these teams no matter the circumstances. Us as fans are spoiled, and we’re entitled to be so, but you have to keep in mind that the human beings behind the uniforms have their same rights and entitlements. Let them celebrate and let them be happy, they earned it. Just not this week. Go Yankees!