CC Sabathia, New York Take On Andrew Moore, Seattle

New York will play game two of their four -game set with Seattle at Safeco Field Friday.

 New York veteran starting pitcher CC Sabathia will go toe-to-toe with Seattle rookie right-hander Andrew Moore in the second game of a four-game series between the Mariners and the Yankees on Friday at Safeco Field.

New York veteran starting pitcher CC Sabathia will go toe-to-toe with Seattle rookie right-hander Andrew Moore in the second game of a four-game series between the Mariners and the Yankees on Friday at Safeco Field. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

Moore will be making his fifth career start. Sabathia is making his 498th. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

With CC Sabathia making his 498th career in his sixteenth season in the league does the veteran have the edge over the rookie Andrew Moore who is making just his fifth start?  

The 36-year-old Yankees hurler has been terrific lately. He owns a 1.60 ERA in his last eight starts after allowing 22 earned runs in his 20 2/3 previous innings. He's coming off a stellar start in which he tossed six scoreless in Game 1 of a doubleheader with the Red Sox. "according to tohttp://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539  

Sabathia has experienced a great deal of success against the Mariners in his career, and especially at Safeco Field, where he's 9-1 with a 2.09 ERA in 13 starts. That's the second-lowest ERA of any pitcher with at least 75 innings pitched, trailing Dan Haren (2.00 ERA), at Safeco Field. He's been even better lately, owning a 6-0 record and a 1.07 ERA in his last six starts in Seattle. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

Moore will need a better performance than his last. He earned a no-decision in his last start against the White Sox in Chicago on Sunday, lasting only three innings and allowing five runs on six hits. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

Moore is also facing one of the league's most potent lineups. New York entered play Thursday with the fifth-best OPS+ in the MLB (104) with the player who had the highest OPS+ (178) in Aaron Judge. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

Recently acquired third baseman Todd Frazier is the only Yankee with a Major League at-bat against Moore. He faced the rookie on Sunday as a member of the White Sox, going 0-for-2. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

 Mariners manager Scott Servais said that the Mariners' new reliever David Phelps should be in uniform and ready to pitch on Friday. Phelps was acquired by the Mariners on Thursday in a deal that sent four prospects to the Marlins. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

Sabathia held the Red Sox to an average exit velocity of 81.1 mph in his most recent outing, and 15 of the 16 batted balls against him (93.8 percent) were below Statcast's threshold for being hard hit (95 mph). That's the second-best single-game rate for a Yankees starter this season. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170720243412462/sabathia-moore-square-off-at-safeco-field/?game_pk=491539

As for the opener between New York and Seattle,

If you needed to find your ace for the 2017 season for New York Luis Severino would be it. 

 Brett Gardner's solo home run in the sixth inning helped lift the Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the Mariners on Thursday as flame-throwing Luis Severino outdueled Felix Hernandez in the opening game of a four-game series at Safeco Field. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

"It shows you he understands what he needs to do," New York manager Joe Girardi said of Severino. "He has to get after it from the first hitter and that's exactly what he's doing because two runs could beat you when you're facing guys like that." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

Hernandez threw a seven-inning gem, allowing just three hits and one run with nine strikeouts, but was the tough-luck loser as he fell to 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA. Robinson Cano went 3-for-5 with a RBI double against his former Yankees team, but Seattle lost its first game of a key 10-game homestand after a 5-1 road trip got it back in Wild Card contention. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

It was an outstanding pitching performance on both sides," said Mariners manager Scott Servais. "I thought Felix was really sharp. We couldn't have asked for anything more from him tonight. Unfortunately, the guy on the other side was a little bit better. Severino was about as good as we've seen all year. We've had some well-pitched games against us, but the stuff he fired out there, you usually don't see guys carry velocity that late into a ballgame." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

The Yankees added an unearned run in the eighth on a bases-loaded single by Aaron Judgeoff reliever Tony Zych for his 68th RBI of the year and two more unearned runs in the ninth. Judge struck out twice and walked once against Hernandez in his first meeting against the longtime Mariners ace. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

Severino, an American League All-Star, picked up his first win since June 10 as he scattered eight hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The 23-year-old improved to 6-4 with a 3.21 ERA and helped the Yankees even their record at 4-4 on their 11-game road trip. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

"Man, he's been unbelievable," Gardner said. "Not just tonight, but last weekend in Boston and really the whole first half. It's been a lot of fun seeing him continue to grow and it's all about fastball command for him. He's been really, really good with that recently. It makes it really easy for us on the defensive side of the ball. There's not a whole lot of action going on out there." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

Dellin Betances wiggled out of a two-on, one-out situation in the eighth for the Yankees before Aroldis Chapman closed out the ninth while allowing Cano's run-scoring double. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

"It's something that we are trying to get straightened out," Girardi said of Betances and Chapman. "Dellin did a good job of making some big pitches there, and Chappy did a good job of getting out of the inning, but the walks hurt." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

The Yankees are just 11-22 since June 13, the worst mark in the Majors in that span, but still, hold the No. 2 WIld Card position by one game over the Twins and 2 1/2 games over the Mariners at 49-45. Seattle, the winner of seven of its previous nine, slipped to 48-49." according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

Severino denied the Mariners in the fourth with some powerful pitching as he escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Jean Segura to ground out to short on a 100-mph fastball. Severino hit 101.2 mph on the previous pitch, per Statcast™, which is the highest velocity by a starting pitcher in the Majors this year. The Mariners had runners on first and third with no out after a double by Kyle Seager and single by Danny Valencia, but Severino got Mitch Haniger to pop out on a first-pitch fastball and Jarrod Dyson to fly out to shallow center. He then walked Mike Zunino before getting Segura for the final out.

Seattle's outfield defense has been the best-rated group in the Majors this year and they showed why in the fifth inning. Center fielder Dyson ran down a high fly into the left-center gap to deny Didi Gregorius on a play Statcast™ rated as a 5-star catch, the hardest play to make with just a 21-percent catch probability. One out later, left fielder Ben Gamel closed out the frame by running down a drive into the same gap by Jacoby Ellsbury on a 4-star catch with a 41-percent catch probability. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

"Awesome," said Servais. "Dyson can really track it down. You're watching him and you say, 'No chance he's going to get there,' and all the sudden he does. Our guys have been really good all year. That's why we lead the league in Defensive Runs Saved from our outfield and they showed why again tonight." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

Cano's double in the ninth was the first extra-base hit by a left-hander off Chapman this year. The last lefty to touch him for extra bases? That would be Mariners outfielder Leonys Martin on July 30 of last season when Chapman was pitching for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

The Mariners successfully challenged a safe call at first on a fielder's choice grounder by Matt Holliday in the fourth when he was ruled safe at first. But the call was overturned following a one-minute, 45-second review, and Holliday thus hit into a double play. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

The Mariners unsuccessfully challenged in the eighth that Yankees' second baseman Starlin Castro lost control of the ball in his glove while transferring it to his throwing hand with Valencia sliding into second. It was deemed Castro had the ball long enough on the base for it to count as an out, and the call was confirmed. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

New York improved to 49-45 and is now four games back of Boston who is leading the American League East. Meanwhile, Seattle drops to 48-48 on the season and is now 15.5 games back of the American League West leader Houston. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243439774/yankees-luis-severino-handcuffs-mariners/

New York and Seattle will play game two of their four game series Friday at Safeco Field. Left-hander CC Sabathia who has a record of 8-3 with a 3.54 earn run average will get the start for New York. Sabathia gave the Yankees exactly what they needed in his last start, holding the Redsox scoreless on two hits over six innings to pick up a win in the first game of a doubleheader. Sabathia walked five in the outing. He will go up against Seattle right -hander Andrew Moore who has a record of 1-1 with a 5.25 earn run average. The well- regarded 23-year -old prospect was solid in his first three starts, but gave up five runs on six hits, including three homers, in his last outing against the White Sox. He's 1-1 with a 3.86 earn run average at Safeco Field. "according to  https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-mariners/2017/07/21/491539#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491539

Will CC Sabathia pitch another shutout like he did in his last start? Will the Seattle offense be able to get it going against the veteran left-hander in CC Sabathia? Will recently acquired  right -hander David Phelps who was traded by Miami see his first action with Seattle against one of his former teams in New York who drafted him in 2008 in the fourteenth round out of Notre Dame? Will New York be able to get their offense going against rookie Andrew Moore? 

First pitch is set for 10:10 pm. The game will be televised on Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-mariners/2017/07/21/491539#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491539