Gerrit Cole’s return to the Yankees’ mound on Wednesday comes in the nick of time as the Orioles breath down their necks atop the AL East.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner’s 2024 debut is especially timely considering the Yankees just lost Clarke Schmidt from the rotation to the IL.
The lines are following suit with this convenient narrative, though his first matchup back in pinstripes isn’t a friendly one.
In the last two seasons, Cole hasn’t maintained consistency against the Orioles’ budding lineup of young power hitters.
He’s 1-2 with a 4.09 ERA over the course of five starts in that window.
Ramón Urías and Cedric Mullins each played four games against Cole in that span, cranking out five hits and one home run apiece.
Baltimore’s offense is only growing mightier throughout this season; it has thrust itself to lead MLB in expected slug percentage and quality of contact, according to Statcast.
Rookie Cade Povich has plenty more to prove, but he’s showcased exciting potential for the O’s.
Povich pitched six shutout innings vs. Atlanta in his last start.
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The Yankees aren’t their usual potent selves when facing southpaws on the road, hitting for .234 — a mark that can benefit the O’s prospect that has progressed up the pipeline with his knack for drawing swings and misses.
Given the two rivaling lineups of heavy contact hitters, you could consider the Over in a game with high expectations for the Yankee ace, but the real value is on the underdog.
The play: Orioles, (+150, FanDuel Sportsbook)