New York Looks To Bounce Back In The Opener Against Washington

Another National League opponent is on the horizon for New York as they will return to the Bronx to host Washington starting Tuesday at Yankee Stadium for a two-game series where both teams will look to redeem themselves.

New York comes into the opener against Washington with a record of 42-19 while Washington meanwhile is coming into the game against New York with a record of 36-27. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings

The veteran left-hander CC Sabathia will get the start for New York. He comes into the opener against Washington with a record of 3-1 to go along with a 2.59 earn run average. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/4553/cc-sabathia Sabathia snapped a five-start winless streak in his last outing, Tuesday at Toronto, hurling seven innings of two-run, three-hit ball in a 7-2 victory over the Blue Jays. He has allowed at least one home run in each of his last five starts. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy He will oppose Washington right -hander Tanner Roark who comes into the game against New York with a record of 3-6 to go along with a 3.56 earn run average. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/31593/tanner-roark This will be Roark's first career start against the Yankees. He has rebounded from a down year in 2017 to return to the consistent pitcher the Nats expected. In 11 of his 12 starts this year, he has tossed at least six innings. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

As for New York previous game, they lost the finale to their city rival the New York Mets on Sunday night at Citi Field. 

The general sense in the Yankees' universe was that they had caught something of a break when an issue with Noah Syndergaard's right index finger prompted him to be scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday evening. They were not counting on Seth Lugo replacing the star right-hander in every sense of the term. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

Lugo fired six dominant innings in a spot start and Todd Frazier hit a fifth-inning homer off Luis Severino as the Mets handed the Yankees their first shutout loss of the season, avoiding a Subway Series sweep with a 2-0 decision that concluded the Queens portion of this year's intracity rivalry. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

"You never want to lose a game going into an off-day, because you've got longer to think about it, but we've been playing great," Brett Gardner said. "We've been throwing the ball well and we've been scoring some runs -- except for tonight." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

Severino pitched well over five innings, aside from a slider that Frazier slugged over the left-field wall, and said that he lobbied manager Aaron Boone not to end his night. But the Yankees have concerns about Severino's recent workload, having fired 308 pitches over his last three starts and 31 pitches in the first inning on Sunday. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

"I was a little bit surprised," Severino said. "I had [93] pitches. I knew inside of me I could go one more inning over there. They told me no. I've been throwing a lot of pitches in these past few games so they wanted me to rest." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-sev

Boone felt that it was a good time to go to the bullpen in part because the Bombers' bats had been stifled by the 28-year-old Lugo, who scattered two hits while striking out eight with a walk. Beginning in the second inning, Mets hurlers retired 17 straight before a Yankees threat fell by the wayside in the eighth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

"We always feel that big inning is in there for us," Boone said. "There's always that belief and that confidence that we have when the game is unfolding. We had a very successful trip overall; we didn't necessarily swing the bats great but … we gave ourselves a chance late." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

In the ninth, Greg Bird worked a one-out walk against Anthony Swarzak to bring up the ice-cold Gary Sanchez. A hard liner went straight to Frazier at third base for a game-ending double play, leaving Sanchez with four hits to show for his last 53 at-bats (.075) and crediting Swarzak with his first save as a Met. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

"That can be a little frustrating, when you're scuffling and you square one up right at someone," Boone said. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

The Yankees' offense has settled into an all-or-nothing groove of late. Eighteen of the Yanks' last 19 runs have come via the homer, including clutch blasts by Gardner in Friday's 4-1 win and round-trippers by Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar and Aaron Judge in Saturday's 4-3 victory, but the deep drive they needed on Sunday never materialized."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

"We put some guys on base but just didn't come up with the big hit," Gardner said. "Gary hit the ball hard there at the end of the game. If that ball gets down there in the corner for a double, maybe that game ends differently." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Yankees caught a break in the eighth inning as Andujar raked a one-out single and Judge came off the bench to pinch-hit, rolling the first pitch of his at-bat against Mets reliever Robert Gsellman to shortstop Amed Rosario. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

Patrolling second base, Reyes tried for two outs but recorded none, missing the bag before firing errantly toward the first-base dugout. The golden opportunity was missed as Gsellman recovered, getting Torres to foul out and inducing Gardner to fly out to left field. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

"We were looking to take advantage of a mistake that they made," Gardner said. "Gleyber and I just weren't able to get anything done after that. We just came up a little short tonight." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

SOUND SMART
The Yankees are the final Major League team to be shut out this season. They had not been blanked since Aug. 10, 2017, a 4-0 loss to the Blue Jays. The Mets have not shut out the Yankees since June 18, 2010, a 4-0 loss at Yankee Stadium."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/luis-severino-yankees-lose-to-mets-in-finale/c-280720078

Like New York Washington also got shutout their previous game, 

- While Max Scherzer has been one of the hottest pitchers in the National League, Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has also been one of the league's hottest hitters. On Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, Crawford got the better of Scherzer and Washington when he went 4-for-4, including the decisive two-run home run off the Nats' ace to lead San Francisco to a 2-0 victory. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

Crawford was the lone blemish in an otherwise dominant outing from Scherzer. He struck out nine in seven innings and gave up four hits, three of which were to Crawford. The loss snaps a nine-game winning streak for Scherzer. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

"I threw good pitches to him. He put great swings on them," Scherzer said. "He wins. I lose. It's as simple as that. He's hot. I have to be better than him. Today, he was great. And tip your hat and move on." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

This was Scherzer's 13th start this season where he allowed two earned runs or fewer, the most in the National League. But he received no support from the Nationals at the plate. There have been moments this season where the Nats looked like an offensive juggernaut, despite the fact that they have been playing without many of their starters. And then there are days like Sunday, when left-hander Derek Holland -- who entered the game with a 4.91 ERA -- held them scoreless through five innings. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

San Francisco's bullpen closed out the game with four hitless innings, which included a save from closer Hunter Strickland -- in which he retired his nemesis, Bryce Harper, with a groundout to short. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

"Sometimes you got to tip your hat to the other guy, too," manager Dave Martinez said. "Holland kept us off-balance. His changeup was good. Mixed his pitches up really well, so it was one of those days." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

Improving the consistency of their offense is perhaps one of the Nationals' biggest hurdles going forward -- one that should only improve as they get healthier. Adam Eaton, who was given a day off on Sunday, returned from the disabled list the previous day. Daniel Murphy will almost certainly join him back in the lineup this week in New York. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

But on Sunday, the Nationals' lack of offense spoiled a great outing from Scherzer. Washington's starting pitching has carried the team with its consistency through the season's first two months, but the Nats lost a pair of starters -- Stephen Strasburg and Jeremy Hellickson -- to the DL this week. Without them, the Nats will be counting on a greater contribution, or at least more consistency, from their lineup going forward. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

"When everyone's hot or cold at the same time, I think it's a little bit of a coincidence," shortstop Trea Turner said. "When there's runners on base, sometimes you get better pitches to hit. I get that. But there's plenty of times when somebody's hot and other people are cold. It's a matter of stringing hits today, and innings. I feel like we've hit the ball well, but we haven't been able to get traffic out there and continue to put runs on the board." "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

SOUND SMART
Michael A. Taylor swiped his 17th base of the season in the fifth inning, matching his career high, which was set last season. Only Dee Gordon (19), Trea Turner (18) and Ender Inciarte (18) have more stolen bases than Taylor this season."according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

Taylor is also starting to heat up for the Nats, with a hit in 14 of his past 17 games, and he is batting .310 in that span. "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

HE SAID IT
"The past is the past. I think everybody's moved on from that. That's part of our job, to get whoever it is out. No matter if it's him or [Matt] Adams, they're all good hitters." -- Strickland, on facing Harper for the first time since their at-bat incited a benches-clearing altercation last season "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/max-scherzer-strikes-out-9-in-nationals-loss/c-280658464

First pitch is set for 7:05pm from Yankee Stadium. The game will be televised on MASN "according to https://www.mlb.com/nationals/schedule/2018-06 and Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-06