The nine-game homestand for the New York Yankees continues tonight as they welcome in the Oakland Athletics for a clash in the Bronx.
By Christian Kouroupakis
Masahiro Tanaka hurled seven innings of two-run ball while Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller each struck out the side as New York ended their frustrating four-game losing skid.
Pitching has been a considerable issue in terms of length through the first 11 games of 2016, but New York showed how dangerous they could be when they receive length out of their starting pitchers.
The offense has also been a source of struggles. Since the 16-run outburst against the Houston Astros on April 5th, the Bronx “Bombers” have scored a mere 3.3 runs per game.
It’s way to early to dig a grave for the 2016 New York Yankees, but losing games the way New York has been losing games is frustrating regardless of how early it is in the season.
This homestand, just by personal judgment, is one of the easier ones they’ll undergo all year and they truly must put their foot down and salvage the rest of it.
It should be an enjoyable series, so let’s take a look at the match-ups and things to look for as the Yankees get set to play host to the A’s.
Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Eric Surkamp (0-1, 4.00) vs. Michael Pineda (1-1, 6.55)
Pineda bounced back from his horrid season debut with six innings and two earned runs allowed in a respectable outing against the Toronto Blue Jays last Wednesday.
In his career against the Athletics, Big Mike is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 18 innings of work. Thus far, Surkamp is 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA but has failed to last five innings of work in two starts this season.
Game 2: Kendall Graveman (0-1, 2.38) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (0-1, 6.94)
At some points in his last outing in Toronto, Eovaldi’s splitter make the right-hander looked absolutely unhittable. However, it started rising on hitters as the game progressed resulting in two home runs in his last two innings of work.
In four career starts against Oakland, Eovaldi has a 5.09 ERA and has given up 32 hits in 23 innings against them.
Graveman made one start against the Yankees and surrendered three runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings pitched. In that game, Brian McCann had his number as he went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Game 3: Rich Hill (1-2, 4.15) vs. Luis Severino (0-2, 5.91)
Many do not remember, but Rich Hill sported Yankee pinstripes in 2014. In 14 relief appearances that year, he had a 1.69 ERA with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
With the A’s in 2016, he is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA. He also leads the league in hit by pitches.
Opposing him for the Yankees is struggling sophomore Luis Severino.
After giving up three runs on ten hits in five innings of work in his first outing against the Detroit Tigers, he put together a similar line in Friday night’s loss.
In 5.2 innings, Sevy surrendered four runs (all earned) on eights hits and only struck out two batters.
It’s way too early to say if Severino is about to struggle all year, but his season ERA is at 5.91 and his dominant arsenal is being figured out by his opposition.
Keys To A Series Win
Make It A Habit:
Seven valuable innings from your starter, a filthy inning from Betances, and another dominant inning from Miller? Yeah, that’ll work.
The Yankees could probably ask for their ring sizes if that becomes a habit, especially with Aroldis Chapman’s return around the corner.
However, despite Tanaka’s outing, the starting rotation ranks near the bottom of the American League with 61.2 innings pitched and a 5.25 ERA.
The Japanese native was the first starter to last seven innings, and all New York can hope for is if the rest of the squad can follow suit.
Stay Filthy, My Friends:
Setup man Dellin Betances (22.5 K/9) and interim closer Andrew Miller (21.6 K/9) have struck out 27 of the 41 batters they have faced so far.
Betances, Miller, Johnny Barbato and Chasen Shreve have pitched a combined 21.1 innings, have struck out 38 batters, and have only walked five.
This bullpen clearly sets themselves apart from any ‘pen in baseball and it will only get better on May 9th. If the Yankees plan on competing, continued dominance is imperative.
Change The Narrative vs. Southpaws:
The Yankee lineup will face two left-handed pitchers in this series, which, beyond any doubt, poses an issue.
Through 11 games in 2016, the Yankees slash .215/.319/.304 against lefties and their five runs scored against southpaws ranks 27th in the league.
It has a lot to do with the switch-hitting Chase Headley experiencing a depressing slump and Alex Rodriguez’s .118 batting average, but the best pitchers in the AL (David Price, Dallas Keuchel) will prove to be an impossible hurdle unless the Bombers can turn it around.
Players To Watch:
Billy Burns:
In 35 plate appearances this season, Billy Burns has yet to strikeout. He is slashing .281/.324/.344 on this young season and wreaks havoc on the basepaths with his blazing speed.
In seven games against the Yankees, Burns has a .375 batting average with twelve hits and a home run. Against tomorrow’s pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi, Burns is 3-for-6.
Alex Rodriguez:
Yes, the .118 batting average has the fan base in mass panic, but his home run on Sunday means he’s finally starting to come around.
In his career against the Oakland A’s, A-Rod has a career slash line of .285/.362/.513 with 43 home runs and 135 RBI in 185 games played against them.
With two games against lefties this series, expect him to get his fair share of opportunities against a team he has an impressive track record against.
Game Times And Predictions:
- Game 1: Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET, YES/CSNCA
- Game 2: Wednesday, 7:05 PM ET, YES/CSNCA
- Game 3: Thursday, 7:05 PM ET, YES/CSNCA
The Yankees cannot take the A’s lightly this series. They aren’t the flashiest team, but they led the AL with 35 one run losses in 2015 and are 4-3 in one-run games this season.
They are good enough to stay in games, and the Yankee ‘pen will have to keep that in mind as they look to continue their dominance as the league’s premiere bullpen.
Bold Prediction:
Every Yankees’ starter gives a quality start and Mark Teixeira will send at least two Tex Messages into the crowd.