O's decline to play two Friday vs. Yanks

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wanted to play a doubleheader Friday to get some games in before Hurricane Irene is expected to hit the Baltimore area, but the Orioles vetoed that idea.

Any scheduling changes would have to be approved by both teams as well as Major League Baseball, according to an MLB spokesman. And in this case the Orioles didn't believe the current weather forecast called for a preemptive scheduling switch.

"It was discussed and considered," Orioles spokesman Greg Bader said, "but it makes little sense logistically to do based on the most recent forecasts."

With the threat of the hurricane looming, the Yankees and Orioles are scheduled to play five games in the next four days, including a day-night doubleheader Saturday. This is the Yankees' last trip to Baltimore this season, adding more urgency to get the games in.

Yankees officials declined to comment about the Orioles' resistance to playing a doubleheader Friday, a day before the storm is expected to hit Baltimore. General manager Brian Cashman said only that the Yankees have been in touch with Major League Baseball about the uncertain weather forecast.

Girardi first publicly raised the possibility of playing a doubleheader Friday when he met with reporters Thursday morning, saying he believed the forecast left them no alternative. The Orioles disagreed.

"We're supposed to play five games in four days, and if you have two days wiped out, we're running out of [time],'' Girardi said. "I don't think we're playing a tripleheader.''

Girardi spoke as if it's all but certain that Hurricane Irene will wash out the three games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, one of which is a makeup of an April rainout. His concern is that if all three are postponed, even if a twin bill is played Monday, the teams still would have two more games to reschedule. "I don't know how you make them up," he said. "I don't know if they're made up in our ballpark. I don't know if they're made up in December. I don't know."

Bader said one of the reasons the Orioles are comfortable waiting is that they think they can play potential makeup games Sunday night and Monday afternoon. "While no scenario would be ideal, we -- in consultation with MLB, the National Weather Service and other local and state officials -- believe keeping the game times as originally scheduled is the best option for our fans," Bader said in an email.

When the Orioles' stance was relayed to him Thursday night, not long before the Yankees departed for Baltimore, Girardi said, "Hopefully our game times don't coincide with the hurricane, but I'm not so sure it's not going to. We'll make the best of it. That's all we can do."

If the Yankees and Orioles have to make up games after the series ends, they share off days Sept. 8 and 15. But those are the Yankees' only two off-days remaining, and Girardi has concerns about overextending his veteran team.