A three game set at the Son of the House that Ruth Built. Second place is on the line.
I fear the Yankees.
You're wondering why. The Yankees are five games over .500, despite surrendering 27 more runs than they've scored. They get blown out far more often than a good team should (10-16 - they've gone 15-12 in one-run games.) They have pitching that more or less defines the concept of "average" (4.22 ERA, league average is - wait for it - 4.22). Their offense is rather sad, averaging less than 4 runs per game. They've been treading water (24-24) in their own home park. The brilliant work of Masahiro Tanaka was most of what kept them afloat, and he's on the DL. Keeping him company there are C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova, and Michael Pineda, all of whom are on the 60 day DL. Gosh, that's four starting pitchers. You mean that happens to other teams as well as Toronto? But still, thanks to Tanaka and a legitimately outstanding bullpen, the Yankees pitching has fought the league to a draw.
But the offense.... Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran have both been great players in the past, but 2014 has seen both men endure an extremely rocky adjustment to the American League. Mark Teixeira seems like a shadow of his old self - even so, he's still been one of the team's best hitters. Brian Roberts has been able to stay in the lineup, which is shocking - his play, alas, hasn't reminded anyone of Brian Roberts. That guy was actually good. Derek Jeter is one of the best 40 year old shortstops in the history of the game, but there's a reason there have only been half a dozen 40 year old shortstops in the history of the game, and Jeter is no longer a good ballplayer.
But they're the New York Yankees. And I fear the Yankees. I think Chase Headley was a terrific pickup for them - they got a good player having a lousy first half to fill a gaping hole in the lineup. Headley should enjoy not playing his home games at Petco Park (only the toughest hitter's park in the history of baseball) - Headley's career line in his road games is .286/.360/.444 (at home, it's just .244/.331/.372), and he's only 30 years old (on the Yankees, "only" is the appropriate adjective.)
Anyway - the matchups:
Buehrle (10-6, 2.86) vs Kuroda (6-6, 3.88)
Hutchison (6-9, 4.54) vs Greene (2-1, 2.79)
Happ (8-5, 4.55) vs Whitley (4-3, 4.60)
Buehrle, of course, has gone almost two months since his last win; he's 0-5, 4.06 in his last 8 starts. If you're thinking - hey! A 4.06 ERA over 8 starts? Don't you have to be a little unlucky to come away without a single W - you'd be exactly right. He's gone 0-3 in his Quality Starts, and he's also handed a pair of three-run leads over to the bullpen, which promptly coughed them right up. He's actually been an above average pitcher over this period - really, exactly what most of us expected him to be.
Hutchison's recent work is a little more disturbing. His last 8 starts have been much, much worse (2-6, 6.37) then Buehrle's. Hutchison's just getting hit - the league hit .234 against him in his first 12 starts, they've hit .305 against him in the last 8. Fewer groundballs and more line drives. That seldom works out well.
Interesting lineup tonight, as tweeted by Noted Tall Person Barry Davis.
Reyes, ss
Kawasaki, 3b
Cabrera, lf
Bautista, rf
Navarro, c
Francisco, 3b
Rasmus, dh
Goins, 2b
Gose, cf
Buehrle, p
I think the Jays may want to re-consider their decision to play two men at third base, and no one at first.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20140725153834676