How the lineup may unfold vs. a southpaw

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has a tough decision to make regarding his lineup for today's series finale against the Yankees at Camden Yards.

It may not matter if the forecast stays the same - thunderstorms day and night - but let's play this as though the weather is going to cooperate.

Left-hander CC Sabathia is on the mound for the Yankees. Hyun Soo Kim is on fire, but he's accumulated only three plate appearances against southpaws in the majors and doesn't have a hit.

Does he sit today?

Nolan Reimold is 13-for-35 (.371) with two doubles, a triple and two home runs against Sabathia. There's no doubt that he's playing today. Mark Trumbo is 6-for-19 with a home run and there's no way he's sitting against a left-hander. He's in the lineup every day.

Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard has made three starts since May 24, Kim's surge pushing him to the bench. He's 3-for-25 since May 20, but he stays busy as a defensive replacement for Kim and Trumbo (just not at the same time).

Showalter wants to keep everyone engaged and my guess is he writes Rickard's name in the lineup as the right fielder, with Reimold in left and Trumbo serving as the designated hitter. Showalter prefers Reimold in left unless Kim also is in the outfield.

This arrangement excludes Kim from the lineup. Nice bat coming off the bench, though.

Kim has hit safely in 15 of his 22 games, with a slash line of .382/.455/.500.

Paul Janish probably starts at third base instead of Ryan Flaherty and Francisco Pena could be behind the plate after Matt Wieters caught the first two games of the series. Wieters is 7-for-43 (.163) with two doubles, a home run and 11 strikeouts against Sabathia.

Chris Davis is 8-for-35 (.229) with a home run and 17 strikeouts against Sabathia. It's conceivable that Trumbo starts at first and Davis sits following his four-strikeout night, but I doubt it.

Sabathia has been taking his postgame showers in the fountain of youth. He's registered five quality starts in a row and posted a 1.04 ERA in four starts in May, with three earned runs (five total) and 16 hits in 26 innings. He walked five, struck out 25 and served up only one home run.

Sabathia shut out the Orioles on six hits over seven innings in a 7-0 victory on May 4 at Camden Yards. He's 19-7 with a 3.35 ERA in career starts against them and 11-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 21 starts in Baltimore.

The Orioles will try to put a little air in his 2.85 ERA for the season.

Kevin Gausman remains in search of his first win. He's 0-3 with a 3.78 ERA in eight starts. In his last two, he's allowed nine runs and 10 hits over 11 innings and surrendered six home runs.

Back on May 5, Gausman shut out the Yankees on three hits over eight innings and was removed after 98 pitches. The Orioles didn't register a complete game last season. He appeared in line for one.

Left-handers are batting .162 against Gausman and right-handers are hitting .278. He's become a reverse-splits guy.

Gausman is 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 12 career games (six starts) versus the Yankees, with eight walks and 39 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. Alex Rodriguez is 4-for-8 with a double and two home runs, Brett Gardner is 4-for-13 with a home run and five strikeouts, and Jacoby Ellsbury is 3-for-19.