Following three straight losses against the Red Sox, the New York Yankees look to avoid the sweep in game four of the series.
- New York Yankees (77-71)
- Boston Red Sox (84-64)
- American League, 8:08 PM ET, ESPN
- Fenway Park, Boston, MA
The New York Yankees are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, which has caused their postseason chances to drop drastically.
The Yankees are now four games back of the second wild-card spot. It’s surprising to many considering how close they were to playoff contention just a week ago.
Tonight, manager Joe Girardi hands the ball to CC Sabathia, who provided the Yankees with a remarkable outing in his last time out.
The big left-hander is coming off an outing against the Dodgers where he pitched six and a third innings of shutout baseball. He struck out seven but received a no decision. Sabathia has looked great in his last five starts, posting an ERA of 2.40.
Opposing Sabathia will be Red Sox left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who is coming off an awful outing where he gave up five earned runs to the Orioles.
Despite Pomeranz struggling in his most recent start, the Yankees should not be taking him lightly. In two starts against the Bronx Bombers this season, Pomeranz has a 1.46 ERA and has been lights out.
Lineups:
Yankees at Boston tonight at 8:05pm on ESPN and @WFAN660 pic.twitter.com/3suyK23vq9
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) September 18, 2016
Player To Watch:
Billy Butler
The Yankees have always been a team that has a tough time against left-handed pitchers, which is why they signed the big right-handed hitter Billy Butler. So far, he has proved his worth.
Being a new addition to the Yankee lineup, Butler has taken his role as facing lefties and ran with it. In his first three games as a Yankee, Butler has a slash line of .429/.375/.857 along with a home run and four RBI’s.
With the Yankees facing another left-handed pitcher today as well, expect Butler to continue his recent success and keep the ball rolling.
RECAP: Billy Butler’s pinch-hit homer in 9th can’t lift #Yankees over Red Sox. https://t.co/B2srJSyrel pic.twitter.com/2ou40dKqgj
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 17, 2016
This Day In Yankees History:
In 2010, Yankees then ace CC Sabathia pitched a gem against the Baltimore Orioles to give him his 20th win of the season. This was the first time Sabathia reached the 20 win mark in a season, as well as becoming the fourth Yankee pitcher since 2000 to accomplish the feat.
Bold Prediction:
The Yankees will break out of their losing skid by a score of 7-5 off a great day by Billy Butler who will hit a three-run home run.
