The New York Yankees seem to believe that they have a big problem in the form of the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles beat the Yankees 7-2 on Thursday to take three of four in this week’s series in Baltimore. The Orioles also finished last season by winning six of their last nine games against the Yankees en route to an AL East title.

Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres seemed to send a message to his teammates after Thursday’s loss, stating that the Yankees got “punched in the face” and must figure out how to handle the Orioles going forward.

Gleyber Torres: “We got punched in the face.”

“We have to figure out a way to beat them.”

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 2, 2024

Obviously, the Yankees are not treating the Orioles as some flash in the pan, nor should they. The team has arguably the best core of young talent in baseball, and their 20-11 start has them in first place in the division. Baltimore taking three of four this early is a great way for them to set the tone, too.

There certainly appears to be a real rivalry growing between these two teams. If the Yankees want to get back atop the AL East, they’re going to have to find a way to beat Baltimore going forward.

Torres, meanwhile, has been an issue for the Yankees this season. While he homered Thursday, he is hitting just .218, and his error helped fuel Baltimore’s four-run fifth inning.