The Yankees had the definition of a “meh” 10-game homestand. There were excellent moments along the way, but overall, they went 5-5. New York split a four-game set against the Twins, took two of three against the Angels, and then lost two of three against the Blue Jays.
That series loss to Toronto was their first of 2023 despite Sunday being their sixth rubber match of the young season. It was a tough time for New York to lose a series, as the Tampa Bay Rays swept the Chicago White Sox and have now won five in a row.
They’re 19-3 so far this year. The Baltimore Orioles are 4.5 games behind them with a 14-7 record. New York and Toronto are both six games back at 13-9. After that prolonged homestand, they’ll start a seven-game road trip with three at Target Field. Here’s what the probable pitching matchups look like.
Monday at 7:40 p.m. ET: Jhony Brito vs. Sonny Gray
Jhony Brito lowered his season-long ERA by over a run with 4.1 innings of one-run ball against the Angels. The Twins are the reason why it’s up at 5.40 in the first place. To kick off the Yankees’ recent homestand, Brito was chased by Minnesota after just 0.2 innings thanks to giving up seven runs.
Sonny Gray was definitively a New York bust, but he’s been good everywhere else he’s pitched. That includes this year — Gray owns a 0.82 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through his first 22 innings. Gray faced the Yankees once in 2022, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts in six innings.
Tuesday 7:40 p.m. ET: Nestor Cortes vs. Joe Ryan
After failing to complete six innings in his first two starts, Nestor Cortes has tossed seven and six innings, respectively, in his last two appearances. That seven-inning performance came against Minnesota. The Yankees ended up losing 4-3, but the southpaw allowed three runs on five hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.
Joe Ryan has tossed 25 innings through four starts in 2023. He’s also recorded four wins along the way. The right-hander was the Twins’ starter during that blowout victory against Brito and New York. He allowed one run on three hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. ET: Domingo German vs. Kenta Maeda
Domingo German’s best start of the year so far came against the Twins. He struck out 11 over 6.1 innings of work, but also was told he had to wash his hands during that appearance. German followed up that start with another six strikeouts in six innings against the Blue Jays, but it also included four runs allowed on five hits and two walks.
Kenta Maeda will be making his second start since April 10th. The only other time he toed the slab during this period, he lasted just two innings against the Red Sox. Maeda has made one career start against the Yankees, which came in 2021. It included five runs allowed on four hits, one walk, and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
