CC Sabathia Aims To Win The Opener As New York Takes On Tampa Bay
After sweeping Seattle in the Bronx New York is back on the road where they will visit Tampa Bay for a three game series.
New York comes into the game against Tampa Bay who is also a member of the American League East with a record of 50-22 and is leading the division while Tampa Bay meanwhile comes into the game with a record of 34-40 and is third in the division"according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings
The veteran left-hander CC Sabathia will start the opener for New York against Tampa Bay.
It was just five days ago that CC Sabathia faced Tampa Bay in New York and took the loss. The left-hander will look for a different outcome this go around.
CC Sabathia comes into the game against Tampa Bay with a record of 4-2 with a 3.30 earn run average. CC Sabathia is coming off his longest outing of the season, tossing 7 2/3 innings against the Rays Sunday. Despite picking up the loss, the left-hander allowed three runs on 10 hits and he recorded a season- high 10 strikeouts. He will oppose Tampa Bay right -hander Ryne Stanek who comes into the opener against Tampa Bay with a record of 1-1 with a 2.21 earn run average. Stanek made his sixth start of his career Monday against the Astros and retired all five batters he faced on 11 pitches. He hasn't allowed a run in eight appearances since the beginning of June. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-rays/2018/06/22/530535#game_state=preview,lock_state=preview,game_tab=,game=530535
As for New York's previous game, they not only beat Seattle but swept them as well.
The Yankees did not waste any time in continuing their run at the all-time single-season homer record, cracking two big flies in the first inning Thursday afternoon. Combining offensive power with the bullpen's recent dominance, the Bombers topped the franchise that owns that very record and held on for a 4-3 win and a sweep of the Mariners at Yankee Stadium. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
The sweep was New York's ninth of the year, a feat the team accomplished 10 times in the 2017 season. The Yanks have now won 17 of their past 21 games and reached the 50-win plateau, just before the rival Red Sox did the same vs. the Twins. The Astros were the first team to reach 50 wins Wednesday. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
Since 1954, this Yankees team is the second-fastest to 50 wins (50-17 in 1998). The Yanks are 41-13 since April 21 - their best 54-game stretch since also going 41-13 from June 26-Aug. 22 in 1998. "according to Since 1954, this Yankees team is the second-fastest to 50 wins (50-17 in 1998). "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-s
We've obviously played well and racked up a lot of wins, but you also realize every night how precious those wins are and how hard they are to come by, I don't care who we're playing," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "But when you look at it, it is, I think, gratifying to know that we've played pretty well against some of the elite teams and some of the hot teams. I think it just speaks to what we believe our team is capable of, and the confidence these guys have no matter who the opponent is. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
In his first appearance in the leadoff spot, Clint Frazier worked a single to right field in the first that set up Aaron Judge for a two-run blast to center field, the slugger's team-high 19th homer of the season. It came on a full-count 95.8-mph fastball from Mariners starter James Paxton, and it rocketed off of Judge's bat at 107.8 mph, traveling 382 feet over the wall in right-center field, according to Statcast™. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
The homer nudged Judge ahead of teammate Giancarlo Stanton, who launched his 18th in walk-off fashion on Wednesday night. Stanton was robbed of a homer on Thursday by Seattle center fielder Mitch Haniger in the next at-bat. Balls hit with Stanton's exit velocity and launch angle combination of 108.6 mph and 29 degrees were homers 41 out of 41 times from 2015-17; thanks to Haniger, it went as a loud out. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
"It was a great play," Boone said. "[Haniger] made it look pretty easy. He got to the ball efficiently. It was kind of a bummer for G. He hit two balls on the nose today and gets a home run taken back. Just a tip of your cap to Haniger today, he made a great play." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
Three batters after the robbery, Miguel Andujar squeaked out a two-run homer of his own just over the right-field fence to give the Yanks a 4-0 lead. It was the team's 122nd homer of the season as it targets the 1997 Mariners' record of 264. Andujar also became the seventh Yankee with at least 10 homers this year. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
"When I go to home plate, I go with my plan and try to hit the ball hard," Andujar said. "I don't think home run or anything specially, I just try to hit the ball hard." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Andujar is also the fifth Yanks rookie to hit 10 homers before the All-Star break; Judge hit 30 last season, Gleyber Torres has 14 this season, Joe DiMaggio hit 11 in 1936 and Nick Johnson cracked 11 in 2002. Andujar and Torres are the first Yanks rookies to accomplish the feat in the same season. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
The Yankees' hot bats were silenced for the remainder of the game. Paxton recovered after giving up the two big flies and allowed just three more hits through the next four innings. Chasen Bradford and Nick Rumbelow finished out the game, throwing a combined three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
New York had to lean heavily on what's been an extremely dependable bullpen after starter Luis Severino grinded through 5 2/3 innings to pick up his 11th win of the year, but he allowed a two-run shot to Kyle Seager in the second and an RBI single to Ben Gamel that ended his day in the sixth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
The 'pen threw a combined 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit from Andrew Romine in the seventh off David Robertson. The performance was highlighted by another stellar outing by Dellin Betances, who has now thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings and allowed just one hit with 22 strikeouts. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
"I feel really good," Betances said. "Obviously, I'm trying to do the best I can every time I go out there. You're different every time. I feel like mindset-wise, I'm good. My stuff is there, so I got to continue to do my job and hand the ball to [Aroldis] Chapman. He's the best at what he does, so that's what I try to do." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
Chapman came on in the ninth to record his 22nd save. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
We're built, in a lot of ways, around that great bullpen," Boone said. "They continue to deliver." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
SOUND SMART
Severino's 11th victory ties Cleveland's Corey Kluber atop the Majors' wins leaderboard. The Yankees have now won in 13 consecutive home starts with Severino on the mound. This is the longest winning streak in one pitcher's home starts since winning 16 consecutive David Cone home starts from Aug. 17, 1997, to Aug. 27, 1998. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
HE SAID IT
"You come to expect just him to go out and dominate time and time again. It's cool when he has a little bump in the road like today -- it's still good enough to get us through the middle innings and leaving with a lead. I think it's a tribute to just how good of a pitcher he's become, when he doesn't have his good command and he's still able to go out there and get a win." -- Boone, on Severino's outing "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/judge-andujar-homer-as-yankees-sweep-mariners/c-282265340
As for Tampa Bay they aren't only coming off an off day on Thursday but are also coming off a loss to Houston their previous game.
If you have to give up a home run now and then, the idea is to do so with nobody on base. Solo homers don't do as much damage as three-run jacks. However, homers without men on base can add up to deliver a knockout punch, which the Astros' four solos shots accomplished Wednesday night in the Rays' 5-1 loss at Minute Maid Park. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
Tampa Bay completed its seven-game road trip to New York and Houston with a 2-5 mark against the Yankees and Astros, two of baseball's best teams. The Rays head back to St. Petersburg with a 34-40 record. After an off-day on Thursday, they will begin a three-game weekend series against the Yankees at Tropicana Field. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
We have New York, Washington and Houston [coming to Tropicana Field], so it's going to continue to stay tough," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We knew, we circled this spot on the calendar coming out of Spring Training. And it was going to be challenging, and it's lived up to that. But hopefully, being on the road, we'll learn something, we'll take it back home and find a way to flip flop that record a little bit." "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
Nathan Eovoldi made his fifth start of the season for the Rays, and entering the sixth, the only run against the right-hander had come via Jose Altuve's solo home run in the fourth. That would change. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
George Springer opened the sixth with his 15th home run of the season. Alex Bregman followed with his 11th. Then, with a sellout crowd of 43,409 chanting "M-V-P! M-V-P!" Altuve connected for his second home run of the game and seventh of the season to give the Astros a 4-1 lead. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
"It definitely happened quick," Eovaldi said. "I think, after the Springer home run, I was a little more frustrated with my pitch location, where it was and how I got there. I think I had him 0-2, then he worked the count 2-2, then I missed with that fastball down and in when I was trying to go up and in. I just have to do a better job of executing my pitches in those situations." "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
It was the sixth time in franchise history that the Astros hit back-to-back-to-back homers, but they had not done so since May 2, 2008, against the Brewers. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
"I don't think [Eovaldi] lost any effectiveness," Cash said. "I think it's the typical third-time-through-the-order effect that is so obvious throughout the game right now. And they're really good." "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
Rays third baseman Joey Wendle noted that losing doesn't feel any better if they lose to a winning team. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
"We go out with the expectation of winning every game," Wendle said. "And this trip, we weren't able to get that done." "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
Tampa Bay's only run was unearned, coming in the fourth following Mallex Smith's one-out single against Charlie Morton . Smith was running with the pitch when Carlos Gomez grounded to third. Smith rounded second and took off for third, forcing a hurried throw across the diamond from first baseman Yuli Gurriell The throw went wild, and Smith scored to put the Rays up, 1-0. "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
SOUND SMART
Jake Bauers doubled and drew two walks. His 11 walks are the second most recorded by a Rays player within his first 14 Major League games, behind Akinori Iwamura (12 in 2007). "according tohttps://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
HE SAID IT
"We're not good enough. ... Good teams find ways to win games. And we didn't find a way to win two of those games." -- Cash, on how the Rays measured up against the Astros, who won their 50th game "according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/nathan-eovaldi-rays-lose-to-astros/c-282184478
First pitch is set for 7:10pm from Tropicana Field. The game will be televised on Yes and Fox Sports Sun. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-06