J.A. Happ Is On The Mound As New York Faces Chris Sale And Boston In The Bronx
Mother nature was the deciding factor on Thursday for the opening game between New York and Boston. With that being said the opening game of what was supposed to be a four game series will be made up on August 3rd. However, we still have three games to play in the series starting on Friday.
New York comes into the opener of the three game series with a record of 36-19 and is in first place in the American League East while their American League East rival Boston meanwhile comes into the game with a record of 29-27 and is in third place in the division and 7.5 games back of their rival.. according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/standings
J. A. Happ will start the opener for New York. The veteran left-hander comes into the game with a record of 4-3 with a record of 4-3 with an earn run average of 5.09. Happ (4-3, 5.09 ERA) will make his 12th start of the season and second against the Red Sox. He allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings against Boston at Yankee Stadium on April 17 in a game the Yankees would go on to win, 5-3. He will oppose Boston left-hander Chris Sale who like his team is struggling this season. The left-hander comes into the game with a record of 1-6 with an earn run average of 4.19. The ace didn't have his best stuff last time out at Houston, but minimized the damage, allowing four runs (two earned) over six innings. The Yankees have always been a good matchup against Sale. The lefty is 7-5 with a 1.93 ERA in 20 appearances against New York, including the postseason. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/roster/probable-pitchers
As for New York’s previous game, they won in a shutout in James Paxton’s return to the mound.
Paxton threw 66 pitches to the Padres over four innings and did not allow a hit, departing with the Yankees leading, 3-0, on three solo homers from DJ LeMahieu, Luke Voit and Gio Urshela. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
The Yankees tacked on a few more runs, including two on Gleyber Torres' 14th homer of the season, for a 7-0 victory at Yankee Stadium to close out the Interleague series. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
“It was really good seeing him back out there and just pitching so well,” Boone said after the game. “Picked up right where he left off. Had good command and feel of the fastball, the slider-cutter was a really good pitch for him today and he was mostly real efficient. ... Four really strong innings by him to kind of set the tone for us today.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Boone briefly considered sending Paxton back out for the fifth inning, but he was close to his pitch count. Paxton said after the game that he expects to be closer to 80 pitches in his next start, and then should be back to his normal workload for the start after that.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
That’s good news for the Yankees’ rotation, which has been strong but could use the length, once Paxton gets there, as well as the reliability.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
“When he’s out there, he can be a dominating force on the mound,” Boone said. “Hopefully now as we build him back up, [he's] a guy that not only can go out there and dominate, but a guy that hopefully we can look to to really pitch us deep into games, because that’s certainly what he’s capable of.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Pitching for the first time since May 3 after spending time on the injured list with inflammation in his left knee, Paxton did not appear to labor at any point, striking out seven. He induced 17 swinging strikes, just three shy of his season high of 20, done three times. He threw at least 99 pitches in each of those three outings, though, and managed 17 swinging strikes on far fewer pitches than in Wednesday’s start. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
The velocity of his four-seam fastball was 94.4 mph, below his season average of 95.6 mph, but it was what his fellow Yankees and opponents were raving about after the game. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
“Unbelievable. He looked like he didn’t miss a month,” Voit said. “His fastball was effective up in the zone and he got guys chasing his slider down and in. We needed that, and it’s nice to have one of our big studs back, and for him to come out and do that was pretty awesome.””according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Paxton, too, credited “some good high fastballs” for part of his success. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
The Padres, on the receiving end, were aware of that fastball prowess, too. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
“It was fastball with carry, more than anything,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “Then, when you're trying to catch up with the fastball, he got his offspeed down well today. You get those two things working well together, he becomes really tough.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Paxton said his knee didn’t impede his pitching. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
“It felt pretty good the last few days playing catch," Paxton said. "And I wasn’t really too worried about it. Obviously, in the bullpen before the game, I was feeling for it to see how it felt. It was good enough. And [it] felt good to get back out there.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Paxton became the first Yankees starter to turn in a hitless outing of more than an inning since Domingo Germán went six hitless innings on May 6, 2018, against the Indians. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Chad Green entered in relief of Paxton and pitched a hitless fifth. The no-hitter ended when Wil Myers blooped a single off Adam Ottavino -- and LeMahieu's glove -- to lead off the sixth. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/james-paxton-throws-4-hitless-innings-in-return
Unlike New York who won their previous game, Boston lost to Cleveland by a score of 14-9.
Starter Ryan Weber was roughed up for seven runs in four innings. None of the bullpen options Cora went to worked either. “according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
With his relievers taxed following that crushing loss on Tuesday and a recently unforgiving schedule, Cora stuck with low-leverage relief options in Wednesday’s loss. “according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
The Indians had been off to a rough start to the season offensively. But all that changed the last two nights, and at the expense of the Red Sox. Cleveland scored in the final two innings on Tuesday and in the first seven innings Wednesday. “according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
“Especially [Tuesday], we were lined up with the guys who have been throwing the ball well. It didn’t happen,” said Cora. “There was a lot of traffic today. Days like this, you keep battling and try to match up and try to maximize what you have. You know, get outs, and then the offense can pick you up. But it was a tough one.””according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
As the Red Sox mounted a couple of comebacks, Cora thought back to an old lesson Indians manager Terry Francona taught him many years ago with regard to bullpen usage.”according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
“We were down pitching-wise and we kept scoring, and you feel like, ‘Oh God, we have a shot.’ But like Tito used to say, ‘You can’t be chasing wins,’” Cora said. “You have to be careful with that, because then if you do that, you’re four runs down, you feel like you can come back and use your big boys then, and you’re going to pay the price the next seven days. You have to be disciplined, and we were tonight.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
So the upside is they at least go into New York with their rotation lined up the way they want it. Eduardo Rodriguez, Rick Porcello and David Price will follow Sale in the final three games of the series.
“I mean, we need to play better, but I think the last [11] innings haven’t been good,” said Cora. “We haven’t pitched well, so we have to be better. I said it early in the season when we went there, and I’ll say it again -- it’s not that we’re going there and we’re playing New York ... it really doesn’t matter. The road trip might be Miami or somewhere else; we have to play better. We didn’t play well the last [11] innings.”
Despite their many injuries to key players, the Yankees have found a way all season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
“They’re a great team,” said Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts. “They’re deep. They’ve been playing well.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-lose-series-finale-to-indians
First pitch is set for 7:05pm from Yankee Stadium. The game will be televised on Major League Baseball Network, Yes and NESN.