Opposite dugout: Yankees have eyes on wild card as Jeter plays last series at Camden Yards

Manager: Joe Girardi, seventh year Record: 75-69 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: LF Brett Gardner (.269/.342/.442, 22 doubles, 8 triples, 16 HR, 56 RBIs, 81 R, 19 SB); CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.278/.338/.429, 26 doubles, 15 HR, 67 RBIs, 38 SB); RHP Brandon McCarthy (6-4, 2.79 ERA, 1.18 WHIP); RHP Shane Greene (4-3, 3.57 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 3-8, 31 runs scored, 60 runs allowed Pitching probables Sept. 12: Brandon McCarthy vs. Kevin Gausman, 1 p.m., MASN HD Sept. 12: Bryan Mitchell vs. Bud Norris, 7 p.m., MASN HD Sept. 13: Shane Greene vs. Miguel Gonzalez, 1 p.m., FOX Sept. 14: Hiroki Kuroda vs. Chris Tillman, 8 p.m., ESPN Series breakdown Shortstop Derek Jeter's last visit to Camden Yards could be an anticlimactic one. Although the Yankees underwent a trade deadline makeover, they have done nothing but lose ground on the first-place Orioles since. New York might be 20-17 since the July 31 non-waiver deadline, but has seen its division deficit grow from 5 1/2 games to as many as 11. The Yankees are in third in the American League East, trailing the Orioles by 10 1/2 games as they open a four-game series at Camden Yards this afternoon. New York is winning at a better clip than before the deadline. So the additions of Brandon McCarthy, Martin Prado, Chase Headley, Stephen Drew, Chris Young and others over the last couple of months have helped. But not enough. The reason? The Orioles are 26-12 since July 31, inflating a 1 1/2-game division lead to 10. This will be a key weekend for the Yankees, who still have realistic playoff hopes, trailing the Tigers by four games for the AL's second wild card. The Orioles, on the other hand, have an opportunity to eliminate New York from the division race with the magic number to do so down to eight. And there's a good chance Baltimore will come close to accomplishing that if it can continue its recent success against New York. The Orioles have won six of their last seven games against the Yankees and hold an 8-3 advantage in the season series, outscoring them 60-31. The Yankess are playing decent ball right now, having won their last two games over the Rays, five of their last eight and 12 of their last 20. Lately, it seems, New York only wins when its offense is at its best. In a strange quirk, the Yankees have scored at least five runs in each of their last 10 wins and are 0-8 when scoring fewer than five since Aug. 23. What makes it strange is that the Yankees haven't pitched badly during that 18-game stretch, allowing 3.4 runs per game. Despite New York's plentiful pitching injuries, it has been better on the mound this year than it has at the plate. The Yankees rank eighth in the AL with a 3.77 ERA, seventh with a 3.88 starters' ERA and eighth with a 3.46 bullpen ERA. In today's doubleheader, McCarthy will face Kevin Gausman in the first game and rookie Bryan Mitchell will pitch against Bud Norris in the second. McCarthy has turned around his season since being acquired from the Diamondbacks on July 6, going 6-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts with the Yankees after going 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 starts with Arizona. The 31-year-old right-hander is coming off a solid start where he held the Royals to two runs in 6 2/3 innings for his ninth win of the year. But he had difficulty in losing his two prior starts, allowing nine runs in 12 1/3 innings for a 6.57 ERA. McCarthy doesn't have the best numbers against Baltimore, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight games (six starts). He's even worse at Camden Yards, where he has a 5.54 ERA in three career appearances (two starts). The 23-year-old Mitchell makes his first major league start tonight. He pitched two scoreless innings on Aug. 10 in his only big league appearance. In the minors this season, the right-hander went 6-7 with a 4.37 ERA in 23 games (21 starts) split between Double-A and Triple-A. Right-hander Shane Greene takes on Miguel Gonzalez in Saturday's matinee, having gone 4-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts) with the Yankees. Greene allowed two runs (none earned) in five innings in his last start, but was torched for six runs in 2 2/3 innings his previous outing. Greene had been on a roll before that with six straight starts allowing three runs or fewer. Greene won his only start against the Orioles, striking out nine in 7 1/3 scoreless innings at Camden Yards earlier this season. Right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (10-9, 3.91 ERA) faces Chris Tillman in Sunday's series finale. Kuroda allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings in his last start, a loss to Tampa Bay. But he had held opponents to three runs or fewer in seven straight starts before that. Kuroda has been good against the Orioles in his career, going 3-3 with a 3.07 ERA in nine career starts. Offensively, the Yankees are 12th in the AL with 571 runs, 11th with a .248 average, 10th with a .694 OPS and are tied for eighth with 133 homers. They're also third with 99 steals, thanks to outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury (third in AL with 38 steals) and Brett Gardner (19 steals). Gardner is also tied for second the AL with eight triples while leading the Yankees with a .784 OPS. He has added 16 homers, 56 RBIs and 81 runs scored. Ellsbury has a .766 OPS while adding a team-high 26 doubles, 15 homers and a team-best 67 RBIs. First baseman Mark Teixeira leads the club with 21 homers while adding 58 RBIs, but is hitting .221/.321/.412. Catcher Brian McCann has contributed 18 homers and 64 RBIs, but is batting .239/.292/.400. Prado, Headley and Young have all played well since coming to the Yankees. Prado is batting .304/.328/.539 with nine doubles, six homers and 15 RBIs in 32 games. Headley is hitting .253/.356/.373 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 30 games, but his status is unclear after being hit in the chin in the ninth inning yesterday. Young, the most recent addition of the three, has been the hottest. The former Mets outfielder is 6-for-12 with two doubles, two homers and seven RBIs in his first six games since being signed by the Yankees. He hit a walk-off three-run homer yesterday against the Rays. Jeter is hitting just .255/.303/.304 as he begins his last series in Baltimore before retiring. Jeter was hit in the left elbow Thursday, but X-rays were negative and he told reporters he feels fine. It remains to be seen if that will limit how much he plays over the next three days. This could be a big weekend for both the Yankees and Orioles. The Yankees are clinging to their postseason hopes, and need every win they can get with four teams standing between them and the second wild card. The Orioles could officially close out the division on the homestand, and can continue dwindling their magic number by having their way with the Yanks.