1 – Good news, no lefty starters.
The Guards do get a break with no left-handed starters for the Yanks. All righties should help with the hitting struggles, they are still next to last in home runs.
2 – Tanner Bibee against Gerrit Cole.
Who had Tanner Bibee vs. Cole as an exciting match-up on their Guardians bingo card? Very excited to see how Bibee does against Cole in the Bronx.
3 – May baseball.
Finally, no more April baseball for the Guardians, which is a relief. Hopefully, the Guards can get a series win, as they have not won a series since they played the Nationals, four series ago.
The New York Yankees are facing a rough patch after their worst loss of the season, and manager Aaron Boone acknowledges that adversity is coming. The team hopes to avoid more challenges and keep Aaron Judge off the injured list when they face the Cleveland Guardians in a three-game series, starting on Monday. Judge has been out since last Thursday due to a hip strain, and the Yankees are evaluating whether he needs an injured list stint.
The Yankees have lost seven of their past ten games since April 20 and have been held to three runs or fewer in 11 of their past 13 games. Although they had eight hits in their most recent game, they allowed four homers and ten runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Boone acknowledges his team’s adversity but is confident they will get through it.
Cleveland hopes to capitalize on the Yankees’ recent struggles, especially after their tough weekend against the Boston Red Sox. They are 6-11 in their past 17 games since beating the Yankees on April 10. In their most recent game, Cleveland lost 7-1 to the Red Sox, with only an RBI single by Amed Rosario against Chris Sale.
The series opener will feature Domingo German pitching for the Yankees, while Cal Quantrill will start for the Guardians. German has had a rough time in his past two starts, allowing ten runs and five homers. However, he got the win in his most recent game against the Baltimore Orioles. Quantrill is coming off a poor outing against the Colorado Rockies, where he gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings. He has a 3.38 ERA in four regular-season appearances against the Yankees, including a start last year where he allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings.
The Guardians suffered a 7-1 loss to the Red Sox yesterday. Steven Kwan (1-for-4 with a double) led the way offensively, while Logan Allen got the loss on the mound after going five innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out eight.
The Yankees’ matchup yesterday versus the Rangers ended in a 15-2 loss. Kyle Higashioka went 1-for-3 with an RBI in the defeat, while Nestor Cortes Jr. threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs on five hits while striking out seven en route to taking the loss.
Currently, the Guardians are experiencing a rough patch, and fortunately, so are the Yankees. Unlike a few weeks ago, this team isn’t the same that had a three-game winning streak when they visited Cleveland. While they are not terrible, they are struggling just as much as the Guardians, albeit for different reasons.
The Guardians’ recent issues are mainly due to a lackluster offense, whereas the Yankees are plagued with injuries, with a total of 12 players currently on the injured list. Notable names like Josh Donaldson, Harrison Bader, Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Rodón, Luis Severino, and Jonathan Loáisiga are all on that list, and even Aaron Judge is battling a hip strain and hasn’t played since Thursday.
The Yankees’ injuries ran so deep that they had to recall Jake Bauers, a former Guardian, to the major-league roster. However, he injured himself immediately by colliding with the outfield wall and is now listed as day-to-day with a knee contusion.
Considering their injuries and recent struggles, the Yankees’ offense isn’t much better than the Guardians’, ranking 23rd in baseball with a 90 wRC+, only slightly better than Cleveland’s 85. In the last two weeks, only two Yankees hitters have a wRC+ over 100: catcher Jose Trevino (109) and rookie Anthony Volpe (109).
In essence, this presents a perfect opportunity for the Guardians to regain their footing by defeating the Yankees. It’s time to move on from the dreadful month of April and focus on securing a victory against a struggling Yankees team. However, there’s no certainty of that happening.
The Guardians will encounter the same three starters they faced in the first series: Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Domingo German. While Cole and Schmidt remain formidable, German is a controversial figure due to domestic abuse allegations, but the Yankees are paying him $2.6 million for his services. Tuesday’s matchup between Cole and Tanner Bibee should be captivating, given Bibee’s impressive seven innings in his MLB debut and his ability to shut down the potent Rockies offense. Nevertheless, pitching in Yankee Stadium will be a significant test, particularly if Judge returns to the Yankees’ lineup.
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