The Baltimore Orioles are heading into a pivotal three-game series against the New York Yankees starting Monday at Camden Yards—and they have a score to settle. The last time these two AL East rivals met, it wasn't pretty. From May 1 to 4, the Orioles were swept in a four-game series at Yankee Stadium, getting outscored a staggering 39-10. The final two losses were especially brutal, with Baltimore falling 11-3 and 12-1.

Since that humbling stretch, the Orioles have shown signs of life—taking two of three from the Miami Marlins—but inconsistency remains a problem. They dropped two of three to the Athletics over the weekend, leaving them at 18-23 and fourth place in the division. The Yankees, meanwhile, sit comfortably in second at 26-15. But now, with the series shifting to Baltimore's home turf, the Orioles have a chance to flip the script in front of their own fans.

The biggest culprit in that first series was the starting pitching. Left-hander Cade Povich allowed five runs over four innings in the opener, followed by Kyle Bradish (five runs in 4.2 innings), Trey Gibson (three runs in 4.2 innings), and Shane Baz (six runs—five earned—in 5.2 innings). It was a rotation-wide struggle that the Birds simply can't afford to repeat.

Injury woes have only deepened the challenge. Povich is now on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder issue, joining ace Trevor Rogers (illness), Dean Kremer (quadriceps), and Zach Eflin (elbow, out for the season after Tommy John surgery). The Orioles will start right-hander Brandon Young on Monday and Bradish on Wednesday, with Tuesday's starter still undecided. Young, 27, has been solid this season with a 3-1 record and 4.35 ERA over four starts, while Bradish is coming off his best outing of the year—seven innings of three-run ball on Friday. If Baltimore's arms can find that form again, this series could look very different.