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BASEBALL

New York Going For The Series Win In The Finale As They Take On Seattle

New York has a pitcher in Caleb Smith who is making his first start so what are the chances he will pitch well and give his team a chance to win? 

Yovani Gallardo will rejoin the Mariners' starting rotation and square off with the Yankees' Caleb Smith on Sunday in the matinee finale at Safeco Field. After New York took the first two games of the four-game series, Seattle has a chance to split after its dramatic walk-off win in 10 innings Saturday night. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778336/mariners-ride-walk-off-win-into-finale-vs-yanks/

Gallardo was relegated to a long-relief role after a rough patch. He posted a 9.00 ERA over his last six starts before rookie Andrew Moore was called up from Triple-A Tacoma and inserted into the rotation. But Gallardo earned a spot back, claiming Sam Gaviglio's turn in the rotation by recording a 0.79 ERA with eight strikeouts and five walks in four relief appearances. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778336/mariners-ride-walk-off-win-into-finale-vs-yanks/

As for their last game, New York lost to Seattle in an extra inning despite the rookie Aaron Judge's efforts.

Aaron Judge is either out of a slump or maybe there was never any slump at all after taking part in the 2017 Home Run Derby where he was crowned champion after hitting forty-seven home runs.

Saturday against Seattle the twenty-five -year old hit his 32nd home run of the season.

 Aaron Judge home run wasn't enough for the Yankees on Saturday as Nelson Cruz singled home Ben Gamel in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Mariners pulled off a 6-5 walk-off win in a back-and-forth affair at Safeco Field. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

Gamel, acquired from the Yankees in August, scorched a leadoff double off Adam Warren, who then intentionally walked Robinson Cano before Cruz delivered with his American League-leading 75th RBI for Seattle's fifth walk-off victory of the year. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

I got a good jump off the bat," Gamel said. "Cruzy hits rockets, so you never know, but it was quite a game. That was a blast." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

Judge launched his 32nd homer of the season in the sixth, but Cano matched the newest Yankee star with a go-ahead blast in the bottom of the eighth. The Yankees tied it back up in the ninth, however, on Ronald Torreyes' two-out, two-strike RBI single off Mariners closer Edwin Diaz. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

"We came back a couple of different times. It's frustrating. We were never able to get the lead," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Our guys kept fighting, big two-out hit by Torreyes, but we we never got the lead and held them off." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

Cano's 19th home run of the season was a leadoff shot against newly acquired reliever David Robertson. The Mariners also got solo homers from Gamel and Mike Zunino in their four-run third against Masahiro Tanaka. Those were the only runs allowed by Tanaka, who retired the final 10 batters he faced in his six innings. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

"His stuff wasn't very good. For whatever reason, that inning, his stuff went away from him," Girardi said. "And then he found it again. He had it, he lost it and found it again. That was the frustrating thing that he couldn't get out of that inning. He gave up the two home runs, got the second out and nobody was on, then gave up another two runs. That's the frustrating part." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

Mariners starter Ariel Miranda gave up five hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings, but the lefty missed out on his eighth win when Seattle couldn't hold his 4-2 lead. David Phelps, acquired from the Marlins in a Thursday trade, retired four straight batters with two strikeouts in his debut in the seventh and eighth. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

"It was a great atmosphere," Phelps said of the sold-out crowd of 46,197. "A really fun game and they were into it, too, which is nice. It's good to beat those guys. That's the team we're chasing right now. This series was on the way to getting out of hand for us, so it was nice to get that one and get after it again tomorrow." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

Seattle is 2 1/2 games behind AL Wild Card leaders New York and Tampa Bay. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

Tanaka had allowed just three runs over 23 innings in his three previous starts at Safeco Field, but he gave up four in the third inning alone as Zunino and Gamel ripped solo homers and Danny Valencia and Mitch Haniger followed with RBI singles. Zunino's blast was a soaring shot to left-center projected at 425 feet by Statcast™ for his 14th homer of the year. Gamel jumped on a first-pitch curve and sent it 391 feet into the right-field seats for his sixth this season. The rookie has a nine-game hitting streak. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

The big Yankees rookie did it again in the sixth inning, pushing an opposite-field shot over the fence in right-center to cut Seattle's lead to 4-3. The Mariners had brought side-arming reliever Steve Cishek in to face Judge, but he got hold of a 2-2 sinker and drove it 396 feet for his second homer in two days. This one wasn't as prodigious as the three-run blast on Friday that nearly sailed out of Safeco Field, but it worked just the same as Judge hiked his RBI total to 73, two behind Cruz for the AL lead. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/243778344/nelson-cruz-single-leads-mariners-past-yankees/

New York dropped to 50-46 while Seattle improved to 49-50 on the season. New York is 3.5 games back of their rival Boston. 

New York and Seattle will finish up their series today at Safeco Field. Left-hander Caleb Smith who has a record of 0-1 with a 6.00 earn run average will get the start for New York. Smith will be making his first Major League start, his second career appearance. He made his big league debut Monday against the Twins and allowed two runs in three innings. He will go up against Seattle right -hander Yovani Gallardo who has a record of 4-7 with a 5.59 earn run average. The veteran right -hander moves back into the rotation in place of rookie Gaviglio after performing well in long relief. Gallardo allowed just one earned run in 11/1/3 innings after going 3-7 with a 6.30 earn run average in 14 starts. "according to  https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-mariners/2017/07/23/491569#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491569

Will Caleb Smith be able to pitch well enough to give New York a chance to win? Will the Seattle offense be able to get their offense going against a pitcher who is making his first start? Will New York be able to get their offense going against Yovani Gallardo? Will New York win the series or will Seattle split the series? 

First pitch is set for 4:10 pm. The game will be televised on Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-mariners/2017/07/23/491569#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491569