The regular schedule between the Orioles and Yankees resumes Monday, and both clubs are hopeful that the return to normalcy will result in a victory in the series finale.
That is the plan, anyway. The Yankees currently trail the first-place Red Sox by two games in the American League East standings, and the last-place Orioles have not given up on the season.
It was quite a weekend.
Baltimore edged New York on Friday, Saturday's game was rescheduled, and the clubs split the games in Sunday's doubleheader, which was arranged because of bad weather caused by Hurricane Irene.
On Monday, the Yankees will send Freddy Garcia to the mound, and the club hopes for a solid outing from the right-hander heading into the series against the Red Sox later this week. Garcia has been on the disabled list since Aug. 19, retroactive to Aug. 8, after he sliced his right index finger in a kitchen mishap.
The Orioles will counter with Alfredo Simon, who is coming off his best start of the season. The veteran threw eight innings of one-run baseball in Minnesota on Tuesday night, limiting the Twins to three hits. He also struck out eight.
Following Garcia, the Yankees' rotation for the upcoming series against the Red Sox in Boston will have CC Sabathia on Tuesday, Phil Hughes on Wednesday and A.J. Burnett on Thursday.
"The huge thing about it is now we have an opportunity to split the series [Monday], considering we're only going to play four games before going into Boston," Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson said.
Yankees: Cano's streak ends
Robinson Cano went hitless in the first game of the doubleheader Sunday to snap his season-high 17-game hitting streak. He's still hitting .333 with 13 runs and 20 RBIs in his last 19 games.
He went 2-for-5 with a home run in the second game of the twin bill.
� Shortstop Derek Jeter became the franchise leader in games played Sunday when he passed Mickey Mantle with his 2,402nd game in the first game of the day-night doubleheader. Jeter is also the club's all-time leader in hits, at-bats and stolen bases.
He was scratched from the lineup for the second game of the doubleheader because of a bruised right knee.
Orioles: Reynolds keeps slugging
Mark Reynolds has hit at least 28 home runs in each of the last four seasons, and has hit at least 30 or more homers in each of the last three seasons.
On Friday, Reynolds became the first Baltimore player to hit 30 home runs since Aubrey Huff hit 32 in 2008.
With 106 home runs since 2009, only Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira (107) has more among American League hitters during that span.
� The Orioles tied a season high with three errors on Aug. 21, but have not committed an error in their last seven games.
Worth noting
� The Yankees are 21-22 in series openers this season, and 29-14 in the second game of a series.
� Including this weekend's games, the Yankees have now had 19 affected by weather this season, including a Major League-leading eight postponements.
� Saturday's rescheduled game between the Orioles and Yankees will be played at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sept. 8.
Lawerence Timmons Rashard Mendenhall Aaron Rodgers AJ Hawk Clay Matthews
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