Games 88 & 89: Let’s Play Two

Welcome to the final week of the first half. Because the weather was unkind to the Yankees earlier this season, they have to play eight games in seven days this week before enjoying the All-Star break. Today the Yankees have a single admission doubleheader against the Orioles. The two teams are making up their May 31st rainout today.

If you’re going to play four games in three days, might as well play them against the Orioles, who positively stink. They’re 24-65 and on pace for 118 losses, and they rank 29th in runs scored per game and 28th in runs allowed per game. Any team can beat any other team on any given day in this game though. Win the first game then focus on the second game. You’ve got to win the first one before you can think about a sweep. Here are the lineups for the first game of today’s doubleheader:

Nice and sunny in Baltimore today. Going to have great weather all week. Much better than the last time the Yankees visited Camden Yards. The first game of today’s doubleheader will begin at 4:05pm ET and you can watch on YES. The second game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the first game ends and that one will be on YES as well. Enjoy the games.

Injury Update: Gary Sanchez (groin) went through agility drills again and will take batting practice on the field with the team this week. Aaron Boone said Sanchez could begin a minor league rehab stint in the coming days, though it sounds like Gary won’t return before the All-Star break. Bummer … Aroldis Chapman (knee) is available today, though I’d bet against him (or anyone) pitching in both games … the Yankees are sending one of their trainers to the All-Star Game with Gleyber Torres (hip) so he can continue his rehab work … Jonathan Loaisiga (shoulder) received a cortisone shot. An MRI revealed inflammation, no structural damage, but Johnny Lasagna is going to be down a few weeks. Sucks.

Roster Move: Welcome back, Gio Gallegos. He is the 26th man for today’s doubleheader. That means someone will have to go down after the first game so Luis Cessa, the second game starter, can be added to the roster. Drury or Frazier are good guesses. The Yankees can’t make Gallegos the 26th man for the first game and Cessa the 26th man for the second game. It doesn’t work like that. Someone’s going down and Cessa’s coming up, then Cessa will presumably go back down after the game so the Yankees can activate Masahiro Tanaka off the disabled list for tomorrow’s start. Got all that?

Update (7:36pm ET): The Yankees annoyingly dropped the first game of today’s doubleheader. The second game is going to start pretty much any minute now. Here are the lineups:

Roster Moves Part Deux: Drury was sent to Triple-A Scranton to clear a roster spot for Cessa, the Yankees say. I figured that was coming.