Masahiro Tanaka To Start The Opener As New York Visits Washington
After playing an American League team Friday through Sunday, having an off day Monday New York will play an interleague series as they play a member of the National League when they visit Washington on Tuesday for a two-game series.
Japanese right -hander Masahiro Tanaka will get the start for New York. He comes into the game with a record of 4-2 with a 4.66 earn run average. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/33150/masahiro-tanaka
Tanaka is unbeaten over his last four outings, going 2-0 with 3 quality starts and a 3.38 ERA. He has faced the Nationals just once, earning the win after firing seven innings of one-run ball in June 2015. He's coming off a no-decision vs. Boston. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy
He will oppose Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez who comes into the game against New York with a record of 4-2 to go along with a 2.22 earn run average. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/28962/gio-gonzalez Gio Gonzalez, who will be pitching on five days’ rest because of Monday’s off-day, has been on a roll, allowing two runs and striking out 21 in his past 18 innings. He is 1-5 with a 6.65 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy
New York comes into the opener against Washington with a record of 28-12 "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings and is coming off a win over Oakland on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees' wait for the authentic Giancarlo Stanton -- the one who terrorized pitchers in 2017 -- may finally be over. It may have been a slow start for the defending National League MVP since his trade to New York from Miami, but with four hits and three RBIs on Sunday vs. the A's, the slugger appears to be on a much-awaited tear. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Stanton had a two-run single in the first inning and solo homer into the home bullpen in right-center in the fifth to lead the Yankees to a 6-2 victory over Oakland before 40,538 at Yankee Stadium after rain delayed the Mother's Day contest for two hours and 45 minutes. The Yanks have now won 19 of 22, have captured seven straight series and are tied with Boston at 28-12 for baseball's best record one-quarter of the way through the season. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Stanton's 4-for-4 performance -- he was a triple short of the cycle -- raised his batting average 20 points to .252. Over his last six games, he is 9-for-23 with three home runs and seven RBIs and stands one hit shy of the 1,000th of his career. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
"He was the difference today," manager Aaron Boone said. "A lot of quality at-bats by him. Just very happy with the work he's put in -- the hard work behind the scenes, the grind you see day in and day out from him -- and when it gets rewarded I love that." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
"Much later than I wanted it to, but I've been working hard trying to feel comfortable every day," Stanton said of the quest for consistency. "You're not going to produce every day, but at least have good at-bats." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Stanton's offense provided all that ace Luis Severino would need to collect his American League-best sixth victory. Severino (6-1, 2.14 ERA) crafted a solid six innings of one-run ball and finished the 106-pitch outing with seven strikeouts against just two walks. Chad Green threw a scoreless seventh and Dellin Betances a scoreless eighth before Chasen Shreve allowed a Mark Canha solo homer in the ninth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Stanton's offense provided all that ace Luis Severino would need to collect his American League-best sixth victory. Severino (6-1, 2.14 ERA) crafted a solid six innings of one-run ball and finished the 106-pitch outing with seven strikeouts against just two walks. Chad Green threw a scoreless seventh and Dellin Betances a scoreless eighth before Chasen Shreve allowed a Mark Canha solo homer in the ninth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
"I didn't have my slider. My fastball command wasn't where it usually is," Severino said. "I grinded to get through six innings." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Stanton came to bat against Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson in the first with none out and the bases loaded after a Brett Gardner single, an Aaron Judge double and a Didi Gregorius walk. He laced a single to center for a 2-0 lead. Aaron Hicks singled him in two batters later for a 3-0 lead."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Stanton was up with two outs in the fifth and cranked a 2-1 pitch from Anderson for the homer and a 4-1 lead. According to Statcast™, it came off the bat at 108 mph and traveled 403 feet. He had a double during the seventh when Hicks scored Judge with a fielder's choice for a 5-1 lead. Judge drove in another New York insurance run with a two-out single in the eighth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Boone was asked if Stanton may finally be hitting one of those stretches where his bat can carry a team. Boone didn't go that far, but he did say, "One thing I'll predict: In the end it will be massive production." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
After the Yankees needed 11 innings to beat Oakland on Saturday, they were looking for Severino to pitch deep into the game. It looked like he might be able to give them seven innings when he finished the fifth at 89 pitches, but A's first baseman Matt Olson opened the sixth with a 10-pitch at-bat to keep the right-hander to just six innings. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
"Olson, he took a great at-bat. I threw a lot of pitches," Severino said. "Maybe if it was less, I'd have gone to the seventh. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Severino has allowed seven earned runs over 41 innings in his past six starts -- a 1.54 ERA. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Key D from Andujar: Oakland had two on and two out in the fourth inning when Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar jumped to snag Canha's liner toward left field. The drive would surely have scored at least one run but kept the New York lead at 3-0. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
"That was a really big play," Severino said. "If that gets to left field, that's going to be runs. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
SOUND SMART
Judge has 11 home runs and Stanton, Gregorius and Gary Sanchez each have 10. It's the first time in franchise history that four Yankees have hit double-digit homers in the first 40 games. It's also the first time a team has achieved this feat since the 2003 Rangers (Juan Gonzalez -- 13, Carl Everett -- 13, Alex Rodriguez -- 11, Rafael Palmeiro -- 10). "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
HE SAID IT
"I'm really excited where we're at. But it's a long, long way to go. I feel we've had our share of adversity and handled it really well. From a record standpoint we're in a really good position, but you always temper it with it's a quarter of the season. It sounds like a good measuring stick, but it also tells you there's a lot more games to play."
-- Boone, on the team's MLB-best 28-12 record at the season's quarter pole "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-goes-4-for-4-vs-as/c-276630200
Washington meanwhile comes into the opener of this two-game series with a record of 24-18 "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings after sweeping Arizona and like New York is coming off an off day on Monday.
Reynolds hit two homers in his first game since joining the Nationals on Saturday, and his two-run shot to deep left-center field in the sixth inning broke a tie and helped the Nationals to their 6-4 victory and four-game road sweep of the D-backs Sunday night at Chase Field. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
Reynolds also homered in the sixth inning, but he said it was his first-inning single to left field that got him in a groove. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"The first at-bat, I was a little nervous," Reynolds said. "New team. Trying to make a good impression. Got the first hit out of the way, and then I kind of settled down and was able to relax and play the game I've been playing for a long time." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
Reynolds hit a curveball for his first homer and sat on a 3-2 fastball from Archie Bradley for his second long ball in the eighth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"He probably knows that in that first game I haven't seen 'velo' really," Reynolds said. "Just was able to catch it out in front a little bit. I was most happy because we weren't hopefully going to go into extra innings. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"It was just back in the big leagues again, and doing what I've been able to do for a long time." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
Reynolds had the 26th multiple-homer game of his career, and it only took four plate appearances after being purchased from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"You obviously know the power is there and you know he's a great player," said Trea Turner who took note of Reynolds' 30-homer 2017 with Colorado. "To have him come in here, get a first start and do that for us is huge. It's unbelievable. We needed it." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
The Nationals are that hot, too. Turner hit two of the Nationals' six homers in the sweep, and Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon had one apiece. Harper hit his National League Leading 13th homer Sunday."according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
They have won 13 of 15, a streak that started when they took the final game of a three-game series against Arizona at Nationals Park. They swept a four-game series against Pittsburgh and won two of three against Philadelphia and San Diego before another sweep in Arizona."according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"I keep saying these guys play with a lot of heart, and it's been a lot of fun," manager Dave Martinez said. "They are really starting to click, and I love coming to the ballpark and watching them play." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
The Nationals' starters gave up four earned runs in 25 2/3 innings as they became the first team to win a series against Arizona, which had been 10-0-2 coming in. The D-backs had only seven runs in the four games. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"They are obviously a really good team, and to win four really close ball games against them is a tough thing to do," Turner said. "I don't know if that's a little bit of them or a little bit of us, but it's great for us to come out on top and get this thing rolling." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Nationals starter Jeremy Hellikson got out of a two-on, one-out situation in the fourth inning by utilizing his off-speed stuff. With runners on first and second, Stephen Souza Jr. hit a knuckle-curve to third base that resulted in a forceout at second. Hellickson threw three straight changeups to the next batter, Chris Owings , who hit the last one off the end of the bat right to Hellickson for an easy out at first. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
SOUND SMART
Harper had swung on only one of the 30 3-0 pitches he had seen this season entering Sunday. Now, make it two. His homer Sunday came after three straight balls from D-backs starter Zack Godley. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
No wonder he entered the game for defensive purposes. Left fielder Andrew Stevenson made a remarkable running catch to take what appeared to be an extra-base away from with a runner on first base and one out in the ninth inning. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
Stevenson broke back on Murphy's liner and reached up to snare the ball, which left the bat at 104.9 mph, according to Statcast The ball had a 92 percent hit probably , Statcast™ estimated. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
"Instincts take over in that situation," Stevenson said. "Your body kind of takes over and you try to make the play. That's a big part of my game, and I'm going to take pride in it." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
HE SAID IT
"You know how hard it is to play the game from game to game, at-bat to at-bat, so many things can change. To do it twice in one game and not play in the last few days, it's pretty unbelievable. Pretty special." -- Turner, on Reynolds' two-homer game "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-hit-4-homers-sweep-d-backs/c-276653942
First pitch is set for 7:05pm from Nationals Park. The game will be televised on MASN "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/schedule/2018-05 and Yes "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-05
.