• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Orioles-Yankees Preview

May 4, 2010 - 3:48 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (7-18) at New York (16-8), 7:05 p.m. EDT

A.J. Burnett is 3-0 for the first time in his 12-year career after a dominating performance against the Baltimore Orioles.

Burnett will try for another win over the Orioles on Tuesday night when the New York Yankees continue their three-game home series.

The right-hander improved to 10-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 14 career starts against Baltimore (7-19) by allowing three hits over eight innings last Thursday in a 4-0 victory at Camden Yards. Burnett (3-0, 2.43 ERA) struck out four and allowed only two runners past first base.

"I was so locked in. I knew I was in a groove," he said. "I had a good tempo and I repeated myself well tonight."

His effort handed Baltimore rookie Brian Matusz (2-1, 4.40) his first loss of the season. Matusz, who will oppose Burnett again Tuesday, allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings.

"Matusz was good, but Burnett was better," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said.

The 23-year-old Orioles left-hander had won six straight decisions, including his first career start against New York at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 12, when he gave up one run over seven innings of a 7-3 victory.

Matusz also squared off with Burnett in that game, and the Yankees starter gave up six runs over seven innings. That remains the only outing in Burnett's last 12 at home in which he allowed more than three runs.

Burnett won't be caught by Jorge Posada, who left Monday's 4-1 victory with tightness in his right calf.

It was unclear when Posada hurt himself, but the Yankees (17-8) announced he would have an MRI later Monday night. Francisco Cervelli replaced him before the start of the sixth inning.

Posada missed two straight starts last week with a swollen right knee after he was plunked by a pitch from Baltimore's Jeremy Guthrie, the losing pitcher in Monday's series opener.

"My guess is we'd be without him for a couple of days," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "He'd be an emergency catcher, so maybe you're looking at Friday again."

Joba Chamberlain picked up the save Monday with Mariano Rivera unavailable due to stiffness in his left side. Rivera, who felt some tightness in his side Saturday, played catch Monday and will try to throw off a mound Tuesday.

"I'm not worried at all," he said. "Like I said, I threw today and it felt good but I didn't want to push it."

New York got good news on one of its injured players when Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup Monday after sitting out one game. Rodriguez said he experienced a little cramping in his right leg before he was lifted for a pinch runner in the ninth inning of Saturday's loss to the White Sox.

The Yankees third baseman scored the tying run on Nick Swisher's RBI single in the fourth inning of the series opener, and Randy Winn added a three-run homer later in the frame. That was all the support needed for CC Sabathia, who allowed a solo homer to Matt Wieters in eight strong innings.

New York second baseman Robinson Cano was hitless in four at-bats, falling to 3 for 16 since he went 8 for 13 with three solo homers in last week's series at Baltimore.