The New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies will face off for the first time since 2013 in an abbreviated two-game interleague set from Coors Field.
Following an uplifting 5-2 home stand and a well-deserved day off, the New York Yankees are back on the road again. An aging team coming off a stretch of 20 games in a row and 40 games in 41 days desperately needed the travel day.However, it is back to business in the Mile High City. The two losses to cap off an otherwise successful Yankee Stadium swing dropped New York below .500 once again at 31-32.
The Rockies have won four of their last five games, two of those coming against the Dodgers and Pirates. Most recently, they took the final two games of a home weekend set with the Padres to come out victorious in the series.
Putting the season into perspective, Colorado has overperformed in a division that was supposed to feature a far better Arizona team. Although they still set three games below .500, they are well within striking distance (4.5 GB) of a playoff spot. With that said, there have been positives no matter which way you slice it.
In fact, their season can be viewed comparatively to the Yankees in that they have been up and down.
The strength of the Rockies, as has become a normality, is their powerful offense. They rank fifth in baseball in runs (315) and third in batting average (.270). When you are playing at Coors Field, everything is a go. Between the altitude and the hitter-friendly nature of the park, slugfests are extremely common.
That would speak to Colorado’s team ERA (4.85) which ranks 28th out of the 30 teams in the league.
Those factors should certainly produce an interesting abbreviated two game set that will be replicated next week at Yankee Stadium. Here is everything you need to know ahead of tonight’s first pitch.
Pitching Matchups
Nathan Eovaldi (6-2, 4.42 ERA) vs. Jorge De La Rosa (2-4, 8.81 ERA)
Eovaldi has shown flashes of pure brilliance thus far in 2016, yet still delivers performances that draw questions as to whether he is prepared to take that next step.
In two straight starts he has failed to complete six innings and has surrendered five runs a piece. However, the offense has bailed him out as he was let off the hook for losses on both occasions.
With that, the right-hander is 5-0 with a 3.67 ERA in his last seven starts and continues to move forth as a top starter for these Yankees.
Opposing him on Colorado’s side will be a guy who is your typical case of a Coors Field victim. Seven of his Jorge De La Rosa’s eight home runs surrendered have come at home and he currently possesses a woeful 8.81 ERA.
With that being said, things got better for De La Rosa when he was demoted to the Rockies’ bullpen. He only allowed one earned run in eight innings combined over three appearances, including four no-hit innings that earned him a win last time out against the Pirates.
Perhaps the brief exclusion from the rotation helped the southpaw as he is ready to start on the mound against New York.
Ivan Nova (5-3, 4.39 ERA) vs. Chad Bettis (4-5, 5.85 ERA)
Ivan Nova has found a home back in the Yankee rotation and does not appear to be going anywhere. Over seven starts since sliding into the mix, he is 4-2 with a 4.14 ERA.
However, the 29-year-old has struggled somewhat over his past four starts, pitching to a 5.76 ERA. The positive trait regarding Nova through that stretch is that he has given the Yankees six innings or more in every start, has battled through rather than imploding, and has won two of of the four outings.
He picked up a win in his most recent start against the Los Angeles Angels, firing 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball while striking out five.
The man opposing Nova in the series finale will be Texas native Chad Betts. After a strong start to the season that saw Bettis go 4-2 with a 4.18 ERA through his first nine starts, he has completely lost it in his last four outings.
The right-hander is 0-3 with a 7.00 ERA in those four starts and has surrendered six home runs over the span. The 27-year-old will be pressing to get back on track against the Yanks.
Players To Watch
Brian McCann (NYY)
The Yankee catcher could very well be in position to have a monster two games in Colorado. In 22 career games at Coors Field, McCann has slashed .373/.393/.566 with three homers and 17 runs batted in.
The 32-year-old has struggled with a .223 batting average and only 26 RBIs this year, including a .128 (5-39) clip in his last 15 games.
This would lead one to believe that a guy who is a .267 lifetime hitter with an average of 81 RBIs per full season is destined to break out.
Nolan Arenado (COL)
Colorado’s 25-year-old third baseman has turned into an absolute stud and is arguably the best hitter in the National League.
Following a monster 42 homer, 130 RBI campaign in 2015, Arenado has proceeded to lead the league in home runs (19) and RBIs (53) again thus far in 2016.
Speaking of Coors Field, Arenado absolutely rakes at his home ballpark. In 28 games there this season, he has slashed an exceptional .309/.387/.682 with 11 home runs and 31 runs batted in.
Name of the game for the Yankees? Keep this superstar from tearing you apart.
Key To A Series Win
Take Advantage
Let’s face it. The Yankee offense simply cannot be let off the hook if they do not at least look stellar in this series.
They are going up against two subpar pitchers in a ballpark that yields runs, and a lot of them for that matter. Facing a southpaw who has struggled mightily for the majority of the season gives the Bombers a chance to disprove their .234/.289/.344 slash against left-handed starters to some extent.
Proceeding to face a reeling right-hander in the series finale can only give the Yanks an opportunity to pounce. As a whole, this six game road trip should prove to be an advantageous situation for a team that showed signs of clicking once and for all on the recent home stand.
With the offense in a perfect position to succeed, Joe Girardi should be dissatisfied with his club if they leave Colorado with anything less than a two-game sweep.
Game Times
- Game 1: Tuesday, 8:40 pm ET, YES
- Game 2: Wednesday, 3:10 pm ET, YES/MLB Network (out-of-market)
Injury Notes
New York:
- Chasen Shreve (shoulder): The left-hander joined Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday to begin a rehab stint.
- Chris Parmelee (hamstring): All signs point to the first baseman missing at least a month with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Colorado:
- Jake McGee (knee): The left-hander was placed on the 15-day DL Saturday due to a left knee strain.
- Tony Wolters (concussion): Wolters recently played two rehab games and is currently on the 7-day concussion DL.
Bold Prediction
The Yankee offense explodes for a combined 20 runs over the two games and overcomes poor outings from both Nathan Eovaldi and Ivan Nova to sweep the abbreviated set. Brian McCann goes deep at least once in Colorado.