Gausman vs. Sabathia today in the Bronx

Should your main concerns rest upon a rotation that's surrendered 12 earned runs and 13 hits over 5 1/3 innings in the first two games in the Bronx?

Or should it be the bullpen with the revolving door and the sudden inability to cover for the rotation? T.J. McFarland, Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart and Brad Brach combined yesterday to allow eight earned runs and 11 hits in four innings.

Or should it be center fielder Adam Jones, who remains day-to-day with a strained left hamstring, while Chris Tillman and Darren O'Day are on the disabled list? The last thing this team needs is another fallen star.

The standings will cause palpitations. The Orioles are three games behind the Blue Jays in the American League East, and they're only 2 ½ ahead of the fourth-place Yankees, who are going for the sweep this afternoon.

Kevin Gausman has won his last two starts and has permitted two earned runs or fewer in four of his five outings this month. Perhaps he can settle the rotation, make it more closely resemble the one we saw during the four games against the Nationals.

Not the one that's contributed so mightily to the Orioles losing the first two games against the Yankees by a combined score of 27-9.

Gausman is making his fourth start against the Yankees this season. He shut them out on three hits over eight innings on May 5, allowed one run and seven hits in six innings on June 5 and allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings on July 18.

Gausman is 3-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 1.045 WHIP in 14 career games (eight starts) against the Yankees and 1-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.061 WHIP in seven games (four starts) in the Bronx.

The current group is batting .213 against Gausman. Brett Gardner is 7-for-19 with two doubles and a home run. Jacoby Ellsbury is 4-for-25 with a double, Brian McCann is 3-for-19 and Didi Gregorius is 2-for-15.

Gausman is 5-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 10 home starts. However, he's 0-9 with a 5.32 ERA in 13 road starts. He's more than due to get a W away from Camden Yards, though we know that much of it is out of his right hand.

The Yankees adjusted their rotation so that CC Sabathia could face the Orioles again today instead of Michael Pineda. He's 19-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 36 career starts against them.

The Orioles are getting their fourth look at Sabathia this season. He shut them out on six hits over seven innings on May 4 and on two hits over five innings on June 5, though he also walked six batters. He allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings on June 21.

Sabathia is 2-7 with a 5.32 ERA in 11 home starts this season and 6-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 12 starts on the road.

Nolan Reimold is 13-for-39 (.333) with two doubles, a triple and two home runs against Sabathia. J.J. Hardy is 14-for-47 (.298) with seven doubles and a home run.

Matt Wieters is 7-for-43 (.163) with two doubles and a home run. Chris Davis is 8-for-39 (.205) with a home run and 18 strikeouts.