Game 119: Prepare for trouble, and make it double

Team Yankees, blast off homers at the speed of light. Surrender now, Orioles, or prepare to fight.

Back in a non-Pokemon reality, the Yankees have a doubleheader — hopefully their last of the season — against the last-place Orioles. The Bombers are 13-2 against the O’s and have hit an MLB-record 52 homers against them this season. With the same homer-prone pitching staff in place, I’d expect a few more dingers today.

The Yankees have played five doubleheaders this year and swept four of them, including their last two as well as the May 15 one against the Orioles. The Pinstripers haven’t lost both ends of a twin bill since Aug. 30, 2017 against the Indians.

Here are the lineups for Game 1.

News & Notes

• As you might have guessed from the lineup, Breyvic Valera is today’s 26th man.
• Luis Severino threw his second bullpen today and came through encouraged. He should need one more and then face live hitters.
• Dellin Betances threw his first bullpen in a while and felt good afterward.
• Luke Voit went through drills on the field today and told reporters he isn’t feeling pain doing sprints, thus believing he can avoid surgery on his sports hernia. He is going to hit tomorrow barring a setback.
• Aaron Hicks will be re-evaluated by the team doctor today and says the pain is gone in his elbow.
• Brett Gardner hasn’t hit first in the lineup since June 8th. Gio Urshela has never started in the two-hole before.

It’ll be a 1:05 p.m. start on YES for Game 1. It should be sunny and around 300 degrees Kelvin out there, so perfect summer weather. Enjoy!