CC Sabathia Takes On Minnesota Looking To Increase New York's Wild -Card Lead
CC Sabathia who got his start bumped back from Sunday to Tuesday will start game two as New York takes on Minnesota at Yankee Stadium as the chase for the postseason continues.
The potential impact of the Twins' series against the Yankees isn't lost on manager Paul Molitor. The Twins, who lead the race for the second AL Wild Card spot by 1 1/2 games with 12 games remaining but trail the Yankees by five for the top spot, are playing in a ballpark they've historically struggled in and one that could be the site of the AL Wild Card game on Oct. 3. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170917254819144/cc-faces-twins-looking-to-lift-yanks-in-2-races/?game_pk=492357
Molitor said he prefers to focus on each game individually, but is curious to see how his team fares in the crucial set, with right-hander Jose Berrios (12-7, 3.84 ERA) set to start the second game of the series on Tuesday night against veteran left-hander CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.85 ERA), whose team is three games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170917254819144/cc-faces-twins-looking-to-lift-yanks-in-2-races/?game_pk=492357
"I don't like to speculate too much that we might be back here," Molitor said. "It could happen. I would look at that as its own game, regardless of what happens. … But what I'm looking forward to is seeing how these guys respond. It's always a little different here. I've played here in October and it just has a different feel." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170917254819144/cc-faces-twins-looking-to-lift-yanks-in-2-races/?game_pk=492357
Sabathia has plenty of experience against the Twins, going 18-9 with a 3.16 ERA against them in 37 starts. But he hasn't faced this young lineup much, as it's his first start against them this year and his second dating to last season. He lasted only 4 1/3 innings last time out against the Rays on Monday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks." according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170917254819144/cc-faces-twins-looking-to-lift-yanks-in-2-races/?game_pk=492357
Berrios has already reached a career high in innings pitched (136), but he's been solid recently, posting a 2.68 ERA over his last six starts. He limited the Blue Jays to one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings on Thursday. The Twins will be cautious with the 23-year-old going forward, but his velocity has held steady. Opponents have missed on 28.3 percent of their swings against Berrios' four-seam fastball this season. Among the more than 80 pitchers who have generated at least 300 swings against four-seamers, that whiff rate trails only Jacob deGrom, Rich Hill and Chris Sale. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170917254819144/cc-faces-twins-looking-to-lift-yanks-in-2-races/?game_pk=492357
With Sabathia starting, the Twins are likely to bench starting right fielder Max Kepler, as he's struggled against lefties this year, hitting .132/.205/.170 against them. Ehire Adrianza has been getting playing time over Kepler against lefties and is expected to start in left field on Tuesday with Eddie Rosario moving over to right. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170917254819144/cc-faces-twins-looking-to-lift-yanks-in-2-races/?game_pk=492357
As for New York and Minnesota's last game, New York won the opener of the three-game series,
At this point in the season wins matter the game may not always be pretty but a win is a win any way you look at it and New York won the opener against Minnesota while extending their wild card lead.
Aaron Judge hit his American League-leading 44th home run and Jaime Garcia turned in his best start for his new club before Aroldis Chapman extinguished a threat in the eighth inning, converting his first five-out save in more than two years as the Yankees secured a 2-1 victory over the Twins on Monday at Yankee Stadium. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
In what could have been a preview of the American League Wild Card Game, the Yankees remained three games behind the Red Sox in the AL East but padded their advantage to five games over the Twins for the first AL Wild Card. Minnesota leads the second AL Wild Card by 1 1/2 games over the Angels. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
There's a good chance we could play them in that one-game playoff, so it's always good to pick up a win against a team like that," said David Robertson, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his ninth victory of the season, the most among all big league relievers this season. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
Garcia was a member of the Twins for six days in July but never set foot inside Target Field, having been traded both times during Minnesota road trips. The veteran lefty struck out nine of the first 13 men he faced and, backed by Judge's first-inning blast, limited his former mates to an unearned run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
"I think I was able to keep the ball down for the most part and elevate when I needed to," Garcia said. "I think the biggest thing was controlling the counts, getting ahead in the counts. I made them chase my stuff." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
Twins starter Ervin Santana permitted two runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings, with the Yankees pushing across the go-ahead run in the sixth inning on Todd Frazier's one-out sacrifice fly. The Twins threatened with a soft eighth-inning rally against Dellin Betances, but Chapman pitched out of a key bases-loaded jam to preserve the lead. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
"It was a good game and what you'd expect from two teams with something on the line," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It was well-pitched on both sides. Ervin battled and Judge got a hold of one, but he held down the fort for the most part. He gave us an opportunity. But their bullpen is tough and it's hard to come from behind." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
No one except Giancarlo Stanton has hit more long balls at home this season than Judge, who has launched 28 of his 44 blasts in The Bronx. Statcast™ calculated Judge's first-inning homer off Santana as having an exit velocity of 108.9 mph, traveling 395 feet to right-center field with a launch angle of 38 degrees. Judge is one of three Yankees to hit 44 or more homers since 1962, joining Alex Rodriguez (54 in 2007) and Tino Martinez (44 in 1997). "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
Santana's sixth-inning wild pitch played a pivotal role in this taut battle, coming after Chase Headley smoked a one-out single off second baseman Brian Dozier's glove and Starlin Castro cleanly singled to left field. The wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, and the Twins intentionally walked Jacoby Ellsbury before Frazier pushed the go-ahead run across with a shallow fly ball to left field. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
"It was a slider," Santana said. "It was just a back-up slider and that's why it did that. And [Frazier] is just a really good bad-ball hitter, so he made good contact to get a fly ball." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
Betances was ineffective in the eighth inning, hitting a batter and issuing two walks around a sacrifice bunt, but Chapman entered and put out the fire. The left-hander gassedJoe Mauer with a 102.7-mph fastball for the second out of the inning, then got Byron Buxton to fly out to right field, leaving the bases loaded. He hadn't recorded a five-out save since Aug. 31, 2015. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
Those are two big outs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You're facing Joe Mauer, who puts the ball in play and doesn't strike out a lot. He's able to strike him out and Buxton has been swinging really well, especially against left-handers. Those are two big outs and then to get the final three, that's just a huge performance by him." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
Chapman's final pitch was a 103.6 mph fastball past Eduardo Escobar, the fastest strikeout pitch in the Majors this season. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
I want to pitch better than this one. If I get the chance to come here again, we just have to win, no matter how." -- Santana, on the potential of starting the AL Wild Card Game in New York on Oct. 3. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/254818594/yankees-beat-twins-to-extend-wild-card-lead/
With the win, New York improved to 83-67 and is now three games back of their rival Boston who is leading the division with a record of 86-64 after defeating Baltimore 10-8 at Camden Yards in their opener of a three-game series. With the loss, Minnesota drops to 78-72 and is now fifteen games back of Cleveland who is leading the American League Central.
New York will return to Yankee Stadium Tuesday for game two of their three-game set against Minnesota.
Right-hander Jose Berrios who has a record of 12-7 with a 3.84 earn run average will get the start for Minnesota. Berrios went 5 2/3 innings his last outing, giving up one run on five hits against Toronto. Berrios also matched his season high with four walks and struck out five, This season Berrios has a 2.45 earn run average at home compared to 5.14 on the road. He will go up against 37- year-old veteran left-hander CC Sabathia who has a record of 11-5 with a 3.85 earn run average. Sabathia was removed from his most recent start against the Rays on Sept. 11 after just 4 1/3 innings as the Yanks didn't want him to face Evan Longoria a third time. He is 2-0 with a 3.14 earn run average since returning from a brief DL stint. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/twins-vs-yankees/2017/09/19/492357#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=492357
Will the Minnesota offense be able to get their offense going and get runs off CC Sabathia? Will the New York offense be able to back up CC Sabathia start who is 2-0 since coming off the disabled list?
First pitch is set for 7:05 pm. The game will be televised on ESPN and Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/twins-vs-yankees/2017/09/19/492357#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=492357