The New York Yankees did what they had to do against the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, taking two of three and now sitting just two games out of first place in the AL East.
Now comes a real test for the Bronx Bombers, as the pesky Detroit Tigers come to town for a three-game set. Detroit sits first in the AL Central, putting up an excellent effort building off of last year’s miracle playoff run. The Tigers also took two of three against the Yankees in the Motor City, all the way back in April.
However, things have changed since. The Yankees are a different team now while Detroit’s roster hasn’t changed much since Opening Day. One winning team in a tough division, another in a weaker one.
And underneath it all, there’s lingering resentment towards Tigers skipper and former Astros manager AJ Hinch.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
TV: YES
Betting Line: Yankees -1.5 (-160), O/U 8.5
Key Storyline: Can the Yankees tame the Tigers in the Bronx? Let’s be clear up front that the April series back at Comerica Park is meaningless. Carlos Rodon got burned by walks and an early homer in the first game, and Carlos Carrasco started the second. No wonder the Yankees were shut out 11-2 across both games!
But now, if I may quote The Scorpions, listen to the winds of change. The Yankees are in the thick of not only a division race, but a battle for playoff seeding. The AL’s No. 1 seed will probably come down to either the Tigers or the AL East winner, so expect New York to take this series beyond seriously.
Pitching Matchup: Casey Mize (13-5, 3.87 ERA) vs Will Warren (8-6, 4.28 ERA). Mize pitched six innings of one-run ball against the Yankees back in April, and his matchup with Warren could be an intriguing one. Both righties are prone to giving up home runs, though Warren is more of a strikeout pitcher. He relies heavily on his fastball/sinker/sweeper mix. Mize, meanwhile is mostly a contact pitcher with strikeout potential who leans on his fastball and splitter. The former No. 1 pick also throws a slurve, sinker, and a slider.
And it’s only one start but, for what it’s worth, Mize owns an 8.44 ERA at Yankee Stadium. He allows nearly 1.25 HR/9 and in Yankee Stadium? He might need to be near un-hittable. Warren, by comparison, has a 2.97 ERA since August (albeit with a 4.73 FIP) and owns a 3.30 mark at home.
X-Factor: Giancarlo Stanton. What a season the future Hall-of-Famer (Yes, he is) Stanton has had despite playing just 60 games. Batting .281 with 19 homers and a 1.6 fWAR over that stretch is no small task and, what’s more, Stanton has hit .301 since the All-Star Break. Not bad at all considering he’s had to spell Aaron Judge in the outfield despite his own fragility!
However, Stanton has only hit .203 against the Tigers in his career. He’s seeing the ball well and sticking to his small-counting approach: Murder one of the first two pitches he sees. Judge is still finding his swing post-elbow strain, so it’s imperative that Stanton’s power help carry the Yankees against this fellow playoff team.
Prediction: Don’t expect a full-blown blowout, but the Yankees should take this one. If you’re in a gambling mood and on New York sports betting apps or New Jersey online casinos? Consider betting the following: Yankees’ run or money line, the over, and maybe some hitting parlays for Riley Greene or any one of Judge, Cody Bellinger, or Ben Rice. The Tigers also strike out a fair amount, so the over on Warren’s strikeouts could also be smart. Yankees 7, Tigers 4
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