Orioles Video

Guthrie's strong outing

Wigginton's walk-off double

Yankees Video

CC's shortened complete-game win

Cano's three-run jack

Guthrie has thrown quality starts in four of his five outings this season, with his most recent assignment the lone exception. Guthrie allowed six hits and six earned runs in that game, and he came under criticism from New York manager Joe Girardi after the game. Girardi, a former catcher, said that Guthrie has often had his lapses of control against the Yankees.

"I don't think he's doing it on purpose, but he hits a lot of people," Girardi had said of Guthrie after that start, an 8-3 win for the Yankees. "It's frustrating for us. We know he's going to pitch inside, and I don't have a problem with pitching inside. But what do you expect, me to be happy our guys are getting plunked? I'm frustrated by it. I wish he had better command."

Guthrie issued an apology after his last outing, saying that he hadn't pitched as well as he'd liked and that he regretted losing control of the ball that hit Posada, who, for his part, said he didn't require an apology.

"I read the paper," said Posada. "I didn't see anything wrong with what he did. I didn't think he needed to say what he said."

So it's a dead issue from all angles, but it could quickly liven up again if Guthrie doesn't have his best control on Monday. That's part of the game's subtext, but Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said he's not going to overthink it.

"I'm not aware of what Joe said, because I don't read that stuff," said Trembley. "I think Guthrie's a big enough guy and should be strong enough both mentally and physically to go in there and pitch a good game. He's had [three or four] days here to prepare himself accordingly. We will see how he reacts. Obviously, he's going to be in the biggest arena in the world."

The Yankees, who boast the third-best record in baseball, will take on the Orioles with a certain degree of confidence. New York hasn't lost a season series to the O's in 12 years and has won 11 games or more against Baltimore in eight of the past nine seasons. The Yankees will also have CC Sabathia on the hill, owner of a 10-1 lifetime record and a 2.62 ERA against the Orioles.

And if all that wasn't enough, the Yankees will also have the benefit of a serious homefield advantage. The Orioles are playing well heading into the Bronx, coming off a sweep of the Red Sox at Camden Yards.

"There's a lot of energy. There's a lot of excitement," Trembley said of the new Yankee Stadium. "It's a little different than the old Yankee stadium, but you still understand the boundaries and history. They are one of the best teams in baseball. They are very, very tough at home. They have a tremendous lineup. We're facing three more top-line starting pitchers, so we're challenged. [But] we cannot put ourselves in the mindset of the Yankees, the Yankees, the Yankees. We've got to take care of the Orioles. We've got to prepare ourselves accordingly and make sure we are ready to play an improved style of baseball."

Orioles: Markakis heating up
Nick Markakis may have started slow, but he's begun to heat up as the season's progressed. Baltimore's right fielder has reached base safely in 22 of 25 games, and after starting the year at a .209 (6-for-29) clip, he's rebounded by hitting .358 (24-for-67) since then. Markakis, who had four RBIs through April, knocked in five on Saturday alone.

He had another two hits on Sunday, including one that put the eventual game-winning run into scoring position. The former first-round draftee is batting .429 (18-for-42) with seven multihit games over his past 10 starts. Markakis has begun to find his comfort zone in the No. 2 hole, but it may ultimately make more sense for him to hit lower in the lineup.

Miguel Tejada has also thrived for the Orioles in recent weeks. The veteran was slotted in as the cleanup hitter on Sunday and went 2-for-3, and he's hitting .389 (14-for-36) with seven runs and six RBIs in his past nine games.

Yankees: Gardner a key with Granderson out
The Yankees are a different team without Curtis Granderson, who went to the disabled list with a strained left groin on Sunday. And in the short run, Marcus Thames and Randy Winn should see more playing time in left field and Brett Gardner will shift to center.

Gardner, who has 11 stolen bases, has already set some interesting statistical milestones. Gardner has stolen 50 bases in just 172 games, the first Yankees player to get there in such a short amount of time since Rickey Henderson (88 games) in 1985. Gardner is the quickest homegrown Yankees player to 50 steals since Fritz Maisel in 1914.

The Yankees held Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup Sunday, but Girardi said he'd likely be back out there on Monday. Girardi originally said Rodriguez "just needed a day" off before later admitting that he was "a little bit stiff."

Worth noting
The Orioles scored five runs in the fifth inning on Saturday night. Prior to that game, they had scored seven runs in the fifth all season. ... The Yankees recalled right-handed reliever Mark Melancon from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre to take Granderson's open roster slot. ... Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters has reached base safely in 22 of 24 games this season. ... The Orioles notched 10 hits or more just three times in their first 17 games, but they've also done it four times in their past eight. ... Left-handed hitters are batting just .083 off Baltimore reliever Jason Berken, the second-lowest rate in the league.