The Orioles look to take their third straight series from the Yankees as Zach Eflin looks to rebound from a rough outing in Tampa.
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
Probable pitchers: RHP Zach Eflin (6-3, 4.81 ERA, 38 Ks) vs. RHP Clarke Schmidt (3-3, 3.16 ERA, 60 Ks)
Friday night’s win in the Bronx had everything we’ve come to expect from the best version of the 2025 Orioles. The starting pitching was good enough, the bullpen was excellent and Ramón Urías and Gunnar Henderson delivered clutch hits to secure the victory.
The win continued a recent Orioles hot streak against the Evil Empire from the Bronx. Baltimore is now 3-1 this season against their AL East rivals and 18-12 since MLB rebalanced the schedule in 2023. This season’s Orioles still remain 10 games back of New York for first place in the AL’s most competitive division. However, despite their early-season struggles, interim manager Tony Masolino has these O’s showing they can still compete with the AL’s best.
Mansolino will hope his starter Zach Eflin can show a little more fight in the Bronx than he did last time out in Tampa. Through 10 starts this season, Eflin has had seven strong outings, a so-so showing in Boston and two absolute stinkers. His most recent game against the Rays was his worst showing of 2025, allowing a season-high 12 hits and giving up seven runs over five innings.
The good news for Eflin is that he’s leaving behind the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa to pitch in a stadium that’s been good to him in the past. Even though Yankee Stadium has the same dimensions as the Rays’ temporary home, Eflin has solid career numbers as a visiting pitcher in the Bronx. He boasts a career 3.58 ERA in five starts at the Yankees, holding New York to a .235 average with 26 Ks in 27.2 IP.
Eflin made three starts in Yankee Stadium last season with mixed results. His first visit to the Bronx with the Rays saw him toss six shutout innings with 6 Ks. Three months later, he took the L against NYY, giving up five runs (4 ER) over five innings in a 6-1 Yankees win. In his only visit to the Bronx with the Orioles, he finished with 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB and 1 K.
The Orioles’ right-hander has been a thorn in the side of Aaron Judge for much of two-time MVP’s career. Judge has a .211 and .496 OPS in 19 career ABs vs. Eflin. Of pitchers Judge has seen at least 15 times, he has the 5th lowest OPS against Eflin—with only John Means, Michael Wacha, Brayan Bello and Blake Snell producing better results vs. the Yankee captain.
Opposing the Orioles’ Opening Day starter is New York right hander Clarke Schmidt. The 29-year-old is in the midst of a hot streak, posting a 1.80 ERA, .209 BAA and 1.00 WHIP over his last five starts. Like Corbin Burnes, Schmidt is a cutter-first pitcher. Unlike a lot of cutter-heavy pitchers, Schmidt prefers to attack the outer third of the plate against lefties while working the cut fastball up and away to righties.
While the cutter is his most frequent pitch, his sweeper has been his best offering in 2025. Opponents are hitting .078 off Schmidt’s sweeper with a 35% whiff rate. Schmidt doesn’t throw the sweeper much to lefties, opting instead for a knuckle curve, so look for Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn and Colton Cowser to be the difference makers offensively.
Orioles Lineup
- Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
- Jordan Westburg (R) DH
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) 1B
- Ramón Laureano (R) RF
- Colton Cowser (L) LF
- Gary Sánchez (R) C
- Cedric Mullins (L) CF
- Ramón Urías (R) 3B
Yankees Linuep
- Ben Rice (L) 1B
- Trent Grisham (L) CF
- Aaron Judge (R) DH
- Cody Bellinger (L) RF
- Jazz Chisolm Jr. (L) 3B
- Jasson Domínguez (S) LF
- Anthony Volpe (R) SS
- J.C. Escarra (L) C
- Oswald Peraza (R) 2B