Gausman on the mound for Game 1

What's better than one game? Try two. The Yankees can't be thrilled about playing at home last night and flying to Baltimore for today's doubleheader. And there isn't a device small enough to measure the amount of sympathy they're going to receive from the Orioles, who have been abused by the schedule all season. Last night's walk-off victory moved the Yankees 10 1/2 games behind the Orioles in the American League East. The Blue Jays were idle and remained 10 games back. The Yankees didn't announce their starters for the four-game series in Baltimore until yesterday, and the Game 2 starter was listed as TBA. Kevin Gausman will oppose Brandon McCarthy in Game 1. Bud Norris is starting Game 2 for the Orioles. Miguel Gonzalez opposes Shane Greene on Saturday, and Chris Tillman opposes Hiroki Kuroda on Sunday. We're going to find out whether shortstop J.J. Hardy returns to the Orioles lineup, as we were led to believe, and whether he's going to start both ends of the doubleheader. The MRI on Hardy's back didn't show any structural damage and he received a cortisone injection. Gausman will make his 18th start of the season and his 10th at home, where he's gone 4-5 with a 4.47 ERA. He earned the win over the Yankees in his only career start against them, posting his first career complete game by allowing one run in a rain-shortened, five-inning game at Camden Yards. Gausman has made six appearances against the Yankees, going 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings. The current Yankees are only 5-for-27 (.185) against Gausman. McCarthy is 6-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts since the Yankees acquired him from the Diamondbacks on July 6 for Vidal Nuno. He's 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight games (six starts) lifetime against the Orioles, and 1-0 with a 5.54 ERA in three games (two starts) at Camden Yards, with eight runs, 17 hits and eight walks in 13 innings. Adam Jones is 4-for-11 (.364) with a double against McCarthy. Alejandro De Aza is 3-for-6 with two doubles. Nelson Cruz is 3-for-19 (.158). Cruz has eight extra-base hits - three doubles, a triple and four home runs - in 10 games since the beginning of September. He's batting .366 (15-for-41). De Aza is batting .375 (9-for-24) during a six-game hitting streak that matches his season-high.