• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Yankees-Orioles Preview

Apr 29, 2010 - 10:29 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

New York (13-7) at Baltimore (4-17), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees have a few players that have slumped during a recent rough stretch, but two of them played a big part in their last victory.

The Yankees try to close a nine-game road trip with a winning record when they complete a three-game series against the lowly Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

New York (13-7) won for only the second time in six games Wednesday, defeating Baltimore 8-3. Nick Swisher had his second straight three-hit game and Derek Jeter, who entered in a 2-for-16 slide and went 0 for 5 on Tuesday, drove in two runs. He began the night with a leadoff double to tie Don Mattingly for third place on the Yankees' career list.

New York led 6-0 going into the bottom of the third, providing more than enough support for CC Sabathia, who went 7 2-3 innings.

Besides Jeter, the struggling Nick Johnson also contributed, recording his second hit in 10 games. He has an .074 average during that stretch.

The Yankees split the first two games of this series after opening the trip by going 3-3 against Oakland and Los Angeles.

The Orioles (4-17) failed to win their third straight. They were 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and Jeremy Guthrie failed to make it out of the fifth.

Nick Markakis had three hits and his first home run, while Miguel Tejada had two hits and doubled. Tejada has gone 8 for 21 since returning from a strained groin that kept him sidelined four days.

The Orioles have lost seven of nine at home against the Yankees, who have batted .304 with 19 homers in those contests. Robinson Cano homered Wednesday and is 14 for 28 with five RBIs in his last seven games.

The Yankees will try to continue their success at Baltimore when they close the series with A.J. Burnett (2-0, 3.20 ERA) on the mound.

Burnett gave up four runs and nine hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 6-4 loss to the Angels on Friday. New York had won his previous three starts.

"It's hit and miss," Burnett told the Yankees' official website. "I always seem to find it 80-something pitches into the game."

Burnett is 9-2 with a 5.23 ERA against the Orioles, going 4-0 with a 4.75 ERA in six starts at Camden Yards.

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada suffered a bruised right knee after being hit by a pitch from Guthrie and was not in the starting lineup Thursday.

In a statement issued through a Yankees official, Posada said there was "no question there's been improvement since last night." And, although the knee was still swollen, Posada said he could play Thursday "in a pinch."

Rookie Brian Matusz (2-0, 4.38) will take the ball for the Orioles after giving up three runs in six innings of a 7-6 loss to Boston on Saturday.

The left-hander was matched up with Burnett in his first career start versus the Yankees on Sept. 12, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings of a 7-3 road victory.