masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles and Yankees meet for the first time this year tonight to begin a three-game series at Camden Yards.
Last year, the O’s won the season series for the first time since 1997. They came close to a season series win, going 9-9 in 2012 and 9-10 in 2013, but they broke through big last year, going 13-6 against New York, including a 7-2 mark in Baltimore.
Orioles pitchers posted an ERA of 2.80 in those 19 games. They held down some of New York’s best batters. Brett Gardner hit just .176,…

The Orioles and Yankees meet for the first time this year tonight to begin a three-game series at Camden Yards.

Last year, the O’s won the season series for the first time since 1997. They came close to a season series win, going 9-9 in 2012 and 9-10 in 2013, but they broke through big last year, going 13-6 against New York, including a 7-2 mark in Baltimore.

Orioles pitchers posted an ERA of 2.80 in those 19 games. They held down some of New York’s best batters. Brett Gardner hit just .176, Mark Teixeira hit .184 and Jacoby Ellsbury hit .214 versus Baltimore pitching.

chen pitch grey serious sidebar.jpgOn the mound tonight, it’s Wei-Yin Chen (0-0, 6.23 ERA) against right-hander Michael Pineda (0-0, 3.00).

Chen will try to give the Orioles their third quality start of the year. In two starts against New York last season, he went 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA. In nine career starts against the Yankees, he is 2-4 with an ERA of 5.44 and 10 homers allowed over 51 1/3 innings.

In his first 2015 start, Chen got a no-decision, going 4 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay, allowing four hits and three runs.

Pineda, who went 5-5 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 13 starts last year, pitched six innings in his first start against Toronto, giving up six hits and two runs with one walk and six strikeouts.

It is strange, but true that both Chen and Pineda threw the same number of pitches with 96 and the exact same number of strikes with 62 in their first outings.

According to Baseball America, the Orioles have signed right-handed pitcher Devin Jones, who was drafted by the Birds in the ninth round out of Mississippi State in 2011.

In November 2013, they traded Jones to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Brad Brach. Since San Diego released Jones, the O’s probably had the edge in that deal.

The 24-year-old went 4-7 with a 5.84 ERA for Double-A Bowie in 2013. Last season for Double-A San Antonio in the Padres organization, he went 4-3 with a 7.23 ERA in nine games over 37 1/3 innings.

Jones has the same alma mater as one William Nathaniel Showalter.