Baltimore Orioles

Righties square off in Orioles-Yankees opener (Apr 07, 2017)

Published Apr. 6, 2017 9:04 p.m. ET

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees meet for the first time this season on Friday at Camden Yards, and both starting pitchers face questions after going through up-and-down 2016 seasons.

Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez was 8-12 with a 5.44 ERA and pitched better in the second half of last season after briefly losing his spot in the rotation. After the All-Star break, Jimenez was 3-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 12 appearances (eight starts).

For New York, Luis Severino finished 3-8 with a 5.83 ERA. He posted 0-8 mark with an 8.50 ERA in 11 starts last year.

Jimenez's season ended on a bad note when he came on in relief and gave up a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to Edwin Encarnacion that handed the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-2 victory in the American League wild-card playoff game.

Jimenez also hasn't experienced great success versus New York, posting a 4-5 record with a 6.05 ERA during his career. However, the Orioles need his help early in the rotation with right-hander Chris Tillman (shoulder bursitis) on the disabled list and unavailable until probably early May.

The Orioles got good starts from right-handers Kevin Gausman (two runs in five innings on Opening Day) plus Dylan Bundy (one run in seven innings) during the first two games of the season, wins over the Blue Jays.

"Once you start getting everybody on their game (pitching), it's going to be good," Baltimore closer Zach Britton said. "I think what we've done early on in these two games has been pretty nice."

The Orioles scored just six runs in the first two games, but four of them came via the home run, their big tool last year when they led the major leagues with 253.

Mark Trumbo hit a walk-off homer in a 3-2 victory Monday, while Adam Jones and Chris Davis both homered in a 3-1 win Wednesday.

Darren O'Day (flu) did not pitch in the first two games for the Orioles, but manager Buck Showalter said that the right-hander would not be headed for the disabled list. Left-hander Wade Miley, on the disabled list with an upper respiratory infection, appears in line to start on Sunday.

The Yankees dropped two of three in Tampa Bay to start their season. They hope Severino (1-1, 4.12 in his career against Baltimore) can improve over last year and help them start the three-game series on a good note.

He pitched better in spring training and earned a spot in the rotation. However, this is a younger New York team trying to build its way back to where prominence after appearing in one postseason game since the 2012 season.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said this week that he hopes the younger players like Severino can stay relaxed while doing their jobs.

"I don't want our younger players looking over their shoulders, thinking that every start is their last start or every at-bat is their last at-bat," Girardi told the Bergen Record. "We want to see continued growth from (Severino)."

Chase Headley (.636, 7-for-11) and Jacoby Ellsbury (.455, 5-for-11) were the Yankees' top two hitters in the Tampa Bay series.

Gary Sanchez, who made such a big impression when coming up late last season, was just 1-for-14 in the first three games. Greg Bird, another young player the team is expecting offensive punch from, went only 1-for-12 against Tampa Bay.

Baltimore won 10 of 19 meetings last season. The Orioles are 13-5 in their past 18 home games against the Yankees.