Yankees-Orioles Score: New York Edges Baltimore, 3-2

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) – Freddy Garcia returned from the disabled list and pitched six strong innings, and Nick Swisher clubbed a two-run homer, as the New York Yankees topped Baltimore, 3-2, to conclude a four-game series.

Garcia (11-7), who hadn’t pitched since August 7 due to a lacerated right index finger, allowed just two hits, including a solo homer to Mark Reynolds, and had four strikeouts. Garcia won his fourth straight decision.

Mariano Rivera retired the side in order in the ninth for his 34th save of the year.

The Yankees won despite playing without shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Red Sox for first place in the AL East. The Yankees start a three-game series in Boston Tuesday.

Rodriguez was sent back to New York on Monday for an MRI on his jammed left thumb, while Jeter sat out due to a bruised right knee.

J.J. Hardy also went deep for the Orioles, who have lost two in a row since a six-game winning streak.

Alfredo Simon (4-7) had six strikeouts over seven innings, but lost for the third time in his last four decisions.

The teams split a day/night doubleheader Sunday due to Hurricane Irene, and in the series finale, the Yankees scored in the opening inning. Curtis Granderson walked with one out and Mark Teixeira doubled to the right field corner for his 100th RBI of the season.

Robinson Cano singled ahead of Swisher’s blast to right field in the fourth inning for a 3-0 difference. Six of Swisher’s last eight hits have been home runs.

After allowing a first-inning double to Adam Jones, Garcia set down 11 straight hitters until Reynolds homered to left field.

Garcia didn’t give up a hit in the sixth and Rafael Soriano fanned the final two men of the seventh.

David Robertson, who had not allowed a run over his last 12 appearances and a homer over his previous 71 outings, surrendered one to left to Hardy on an 0-2 pitch in the eighth inning. In fact, it was his first run given up on the road all season.

Nick Markakis walked and stole second with two outs, but Jones fanned to end the frame.

New York Yankees (78-51) At Baltimore Orioles (52-77), 7:05 P.M.

(Sports Network) – Freddy Garcia returns from the disabled list this evening when the New York Yankees complete what is now a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Garcia, who will be pitching for the first time since August 7 because of a finger injury he sustained at home, has been a pleasant surprise for the Yanks, going 10-7 with a 3.16 ERA. He had won three straight starts before getting a no-decision against Boston on August 7, despite allowing just a run and five hits in five innings.

With A.J. Burnett’s season spiraling out of control the Yankees have to hope Garcia picks up where he left off before going on the disabled list, when he had become one of the team’s most reliable starters.

The Yankees have won 10 of their 13 meetings with the O’s this season, including five of the seven games played in Baltimore.

New York trails Boston by two games in the AL East. After this series the Yankees will visit Fenway Park for three games starting on Tuesday.

Pitching for the O’s tonight will be righty Alfredo Simon, who is 4-6 with a 4.30 ERA.

Orioles Rip Yankees Over Scheduling Complaints

What gives between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles? The Orioles, 53-78 and mired in last place in the American League East, can’t compete with the Yankees on the field. So, it seems they are taking their shots from the management side.

Remember earlier this year when manager Buck Showalter ripped Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter?

Well, Showalter and the Orioles front office are ripping the Yankees again over New York’s unhappiness about the Sept. 8 re-scheduling of the game missed on Saturday due to Hurricane Irene. The Yankees had wanted to play a doubleheader Friday in advance of the storm, but the Orioles rejected that.

“Are we really still talking about this? We’ve just seen a hurricane come through this region which has caused millions to be without power, tens of millions of dollars in property damage and even several deaths,” Orioles director of communications Greg Bader wrote in an email earlier Sunday to ESPNNewYork.com. "We’ve got people out there literally trying to put their lives back together and yet there are some still worrying about a rescheduled game time?

Showalter was also frustrated by the complaints. The Orioles manager told MLB.com the Yankees called the team’s president of operations, Andy MacPhail, to express their concerns about 24 hours before the games would be played. Showalter told the website that the team denied New York’s request for several reasons, including a planned tribute for ex-pitcher and broadcaster Mike Flanagan, who took his own life Wednesday.

“First of all, I felt that some of the stuff was a little disrespectful to Flanny quite frankly,” Showalter told MLB.com. “That didn’t sit with me very well. I can tell you that. We didn’t say much — I think we had an April rainout there — and they just told us when we were playing. We were OK with that. Like I told you the other day, you tell us when we’re playing, we’ll play. The whole scheme of life, the things that really consume you.”

Whatever. Let the Orioles have their little front office victory over the Yankees. They are still looking up — way up — when it comes to the quality of the product on the field.

Yankees-Orioles Score, Game 2: Five Home Runs Lead To 8-3 Yankee Victory

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees turned Camden Yards into a launch pad.

The American League Wild Card leaders belted five home runs, including three in a row during the sixth inning and a pair from Curtis Granderson, to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 8-3, and earn a split of a Sunday's day-night doubleheader.

Granderson drove in four while upping his home run total this season to an MLB-best 38. He also leads the majors with 107 RBI.

"It's incredible what he's done this year," said New York manager Joe Girardi about Granderson. "There's been a lot of talk about MVP and that will all be settled later, but he's been unbelievable for us."

Ivan Nova (14-4), the leader among all rookies in wins, overcame a sluggish start to pitch into the eighth inning for the Yankees. The right-hander allowed three runs on five hits through the first three frames. Baltimore mustered only two more hits before Nova departed with two men on base and no outs.

David Robertson relieved Nova and Adam Jones singled to load the bases. But the Yankees reliever struck out Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds and Ryan Adams -- all swinging -- to escape the jam.

New York, which rebounded from a 2-0 loss in the opener, trails Boston by two games in the AL East.

Baltimore starter Brian Matusz (1-7) surrendered six runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Orioles pushed across a run in each of the first three innings, with Jones' second sacrifice fly tying the game after Granderson smashed a three- run homer in the top of the third.

Robinson Cano broke the tie in the Yankees' sixth when he followed a one-out single by Mark Teixeira with a two-run blast to left field. Nick Swisher then went deep before Andruw Jones greeted Baltimore's Chris Jakubauskas with a drive over the wall in left-center.

Granderson homered off Mark Hendrickson to give New York a five-run lead in the seventh.

Nova has won 10 straight decisions, tying him with Johnny Allen for the third- longest winning streak by a Yankees rookie pitcher...New York shortstop Derek Jeter was a late scratch for the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with a bruised right knee.

Yankees-Orioles Score, Game 1: Baltimore Shuts Out Yankees, 2-0

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) – Zach Britton tossed seven scoreless innings and Vladimir Guerrero drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, as Baltimore nipped the New York Yankees, 2-0, in the front end of a day-night doubleheader at Camden Yards.

Mark Reynolds had three hits and scored an insurance run on J.J. Hardy’s single in the eighth for the Orioles, who shook off the delay caused by Hurricane Irene on Saturday to win their sixth straight game.

Britton (8-9) scattered four hits and struck out five during his outing, and Kevin Gregg turned in a scoreless ninth to earn his 19th save.

Bartolo Colon (8-9) was the hard-luck loser, allowing seven hits and two runs over 7 2/3 frames for the Yankees, who have dropped four of five.

Derek Jeter of the Yankees passed Mickey Mantle on the franchise’s all- time games played list at 2,402. He was the designated hitter Sunday afternoon.

The game was scoreless through six innings, with Colon allowing just two hits and Britton giving up four.

But Nick Markakis began the seventh with a double off the scoreboard in right, then scored two batters later when Guerrero punched a single through the right side. Guerrero was thrown out trying to stretch the hit and Matt Wieters lined out to keep it 1-0.

Singles from Reynolds, Ryan Adams and Hardy produced Baltimore’s second run in the eighth and chased Colon for Boone Logan. The New York reliever got Markakis to fly out to left to limit the damage.

Gregg yielded a one-out bloop single from Mark Teixeira in the ninth, but escaped trouble and ended the game by inducing a 6-4-3 double-play grounder from Alex Rodriguez.

New York Yankees (78-51) At Baltimore Orioles (52-77), 1:05 P.M., 7:05 P.M.

(Sports Network) – Derek Jeter will add another milestone to his magnificent career this afternoon when the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles attempt to play a day/night doubleheader at Camden Yards.

Jeter will play in his 2,402nd game as a Yankee and will pass Mickey Mantle for the most games played in team history. He will also move into 16th place all-time in games played among players who spent their entire career with a single team.

“I don’t think you ever sit here and set your sights on a games-played record, you know what I mean?” Jeter said. “My job is to come here and play and try to stay healthy and be on the field. I guess it’s a good thing.”

This was supposed to be a five-game set with a doubledip slated for Saturday to make up for a postponed game back on April 22. However, Hurricane Irene changed those plans. Instead these teams will now play two today and the game missed on Saturday has been rescheduled for September 8.

Baltimore actually got this series started off on the right foot on Friday, as Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer, J.J. Hardy smacked a two-run shot and Mark Reynolds had a solo blast in the Orioles’ 12-5 win.

Nolan Reimold doubled, tripled and drove in three for the Orioles, who won their fifth consecutive game after plating nine runs against New York starter A.J. Burnett.

“The last five or six games have been pretty good,” Hardy said. “Our pitchers have been going out there and working fast and doing really well, and letting us score a few runs and keep the momentum on our side.”

Tommy Hunter (3-2) allowed four runs in seven innings to help Baltimore win on a night the team honored the late Mike Flanagan.

Burnett (9-11) matched a career high with nine runs allowed in five innings, finishing an arduous August. In five starts, he posted an 11.91 ERA (30 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings), and allowed six homers and 44 hits.

The right-hander has given up at least seven runs in four outings this season — three of which came in August.

“It’s really just location at this point,” said Yankees catcher Russell Martin. “He’ll make a couple good pitches with his fastball, and the next one will be belt-high. Guys at this level, they don’t miss it.”

Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher homered for the Yankees, who were coming off Thursday’s 22-9, three-grand slam rout of Oakland. They claimed the record-setting win after falling behind early, and found themselves in a similar position Friday thanks to the Orioles’ six-run second inning.

Taking the ball for the Yankees in game one will be righty Freddy Garcia, who has been on the disabled list and hasn’t pitched since August 7 because of a finger injury he sustained at home.

Garcia has been a pleasant surprise for the Yanks, going 10-7 with a 3.16 ERA. He had won three straight starts before getting a no-decision to Boston on August 7, despite allowing just a run and five hits in five innings.

He is 5-7 lifetime against the Orioles with a 4.07 ERA in 14 starts.

Ivan Nova, meanwhile, will take the ball in game two searching for his 10th straight winning decision.

Nova won his sixth straight start on Sunday in Minnesota, as he held the Twins to five hits over seven scoreless innings to run is record to 13-4 on the year, while lowering his earned run average to 3.97.

“I feel really confident in my slider,” said Nova, who is 9-0 with a 3.48 ERA over his last 10 starts. “We worked on it, we got it back, and it’s a pitch that, in situations, I can throw to left-handed hitters and get the out.”

Nova beat the Orioles the last time he faced them and is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against them.

The Orioles hope Zach Britton can string back-to-back wins together in the first game after he won for the first time in six decisions his last time out. Britton beat the Minnesota Twins on Monday, holding them to a run and six hits in five innings. He is 7-9 on the year with a 4.54 ERA.

The left-handed Britton has faced the Yanks twice this season and is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA. He failed to get out of the first inning against them back on July 30, surrendering six earned runs in just one-third of an inning.

Heading to the hill in the second game for the Orioles will be lefty Brian Matusz, who has lost his last six starts. Matusz was rocked yet again on Sunday by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as he allowed six runs (five earned) and nine hits in four innings, dropping him to 1-6 to go along with a 8.92 ERA.

Game Two: New York – Ivan Nova (13-4, 3.97) Baltimore – Zach Britton (7-9, 4.54).

Yankees-Orioles Score: A.J. Burnett Blasted Again In 12-5 Loss

A.J. Burnett was awful again Friday night for the New York Yankees, surrendering nine runs over five innings in a 12-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The nine runs allowed matched a career-worst for Burnett (9-11). He finished August with an 11.91 ERA over five starts, allowing 30 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings. He surrendered six home runs and 44 hits. Further, Burnett has just one victory since June.

The right-hander has given up at least seven runs in four outings this season -- three of which came in August.

"It's really just location at this point," said Yankees catcher Russell Martin. "He'll make a couple good pitches with his fastball, and the next one will be belt-high. Guys at this level, they don't miss it."

Burnett, in the third year of a five-tear, $82.5 million dollar contract, now has a 5.31 ERA for the season. In 2010 he went 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA.

Saturday's scheduled doubleheader between the Orioles and Yankees has been postponed because of bad weather expected to occur as Hurricane Irene makes its way up the East Coast. The afternoon game will be played September 8 at a time to be determined, while the night contest has been bumped back to Sunday, creating another doubleheader.

-- Sports Network contributed to this report

Yankees Vs. Orioles: A.J. Burnett Tries For Turnaround

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