Yankees @ TigersComerica Park
(3 games)
It's time to turn a page on that ugly series in Boston. The Yanks take on the Sox in exactly one week and will play 16 more times over the course of the season. They will have their chance at revenge. ... On to the Tigers and a three game series in Detroit. The Tigers have started off the year pretty well and find themselves in first place in the AL Central with a 10-8 record. We all knew they could hit, but now they're starting to get some pitching from guys like 27-year-old Armando Galarraga, and newly acquired Edwin Jackson. Justin Verlander ever pitches like he did back in 2006 and '07, they could run away with the division.
With the Yankees coming off of three straight losses this becomes a pretty important series. They need to get off the mat and play well before coming home for a very tough homestand against the Angels, Rays, and Red Sox. That's also the homestand that they Yankees could get A-Rod back. Game one of this series with the Tigers is also very important for CC Sabathia. He has not been the ace the Yankees were expecting and tonight would be a great opportunity for him to quiet the critics, at least for a little while. The Yankees also need to start getting some length out of CC and the rest of their starters. That's the main reason the bullpen has been so bad - they're overworked and tired. Another interesting sidebar to this series is the return of Phil Hughes. He will make his 2009 debut tomorrow in place of the injured Chien-Ming Wang. Right now the Yankees are 9-9 and four games behind the first place Blue Jays in the AL East.
Last season Detroit won the season series four games to two.
Pitching Matchups
CC Sabathia LHP (1-1, 4.81 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander RHP (0-2, 9.00 ERA)
Phil Hughes RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson RHP (1-1, 2.77 ERA)
Joba Chamberlain RHP (0-0, 3.94 ERA) vs. Rick Porcello RHP (1-2, 3.75 ERA)Players to Watch
Injury Report
Game 1: Tonight @ 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
CC Sabathia LHP (1-1, 4.81 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander RHP (0-2, 9.00 ERA)
Game 2: Tomorrow @ 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
Phil Hughes RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson RHP (1-1, 2.77 ERA)
Game 3: Wednesday @ 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
Joba Chamberlain RHP (0-0, 3.94 ERA) vs. Rick Porcello RHP (1-2, 3.75 ERA)Players to Watch
YANKEES: Derek Jeter - The Captain has gotten off to a nice start so far this season, hitting .299/.357/.506 with 4 homers and 11 RBI. He seems to be handling the role of leadoff man just fine, and has shown a surprising power surge with his four homers.
In 109 games in his career, Jeter is a .354/.427/.498 hitter with 11 homers and 67 RBI against the Tigers. Last year against the Tigers he hit .417/.533/.542 with a homer and five RBI. His numbers take a dip at Comerica where he's only a .280/.338/.408 hitter in 29 games, but last season he did hit .500/.625/.750 with a homer an four RBI in three games theres.
Jeter vs. Verlander: .429/.500/.429 (3-for-7)
Jeter vs. Jackson: .417/.481/.667 (10-for-24) 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI
Jeter vs. Porcello: NR
TIGERS: Miguel Cabrera - Cabrera has had a great start to the season. He's hitting .382/.455/.588 with 4 homers and 13 RBI.
He has pounded Yankees pitching in nine career games, hitting .343/.395/1.080 with 3 homers nad 8 RBI. In six games last year he hit .280/.308/.600 with 2 homers and 5 RBI.
Cabrera vs. Sabathia: 3-for-3, HR, 5 RBI
Cabrera vs. Hughes: 0-for-2
Cabrera vs. Chamberlain: NR
In 109 games in his career, Jeter is a .354/.427/.498 hitter with 11 homers and 67 RBI against the Tigers. Last year against the Tigers he hit .417/.533/.542 with a homer and five RBI. His numbers take a dip at Comerica where he's only a .280/.338/.408 hitter in 29 games, but last season he did hit .500/.625/.750 with a homer an four RBI in three games theres.
Jeter vs. Verlander: .429/.500/.429 (3-for-7)
Jeter vs. Jackson: .417/.481/.667 (10-for-24) 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI
Jeter vs. Porcello: NR
TIGERS: Miguel Cabrera - Cabrera has had a great start to the season. He's hitting .382/.455/.588 with 4 homers and 13 RBI.
He has pounded Yankees pitching in nine career games, hitting .343/.395/1.080 with 3 homers nad 8 RBI. In six games last year he hit .280/.308/.600 with 2 homers and 5 RBI.
Cabrera vs. Sabathia: 3-for-3, HR, 5 RBI
Cabrera vs. Hughes: 0-for-2
Cabrera vs. Chamberlain: NR
Injury Report
YANKEES
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B: 15-day DL with a torn labrum in right hip. He is down in Tampa rehabbing at the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa. He's expected back in early to mid May.
- Xavier Nady, RF: 15-day DL with an injured right elbow. It was thought that he would need season-ending surgery, but it is now being reported that he may avoid the surgery and miss just 4-6 weeks.
- Cody Ransom, INF: 60-day DL with a strained right quad.
- Brian Bruney, RP: 15-day DL with a sore right elbow.
- Chien-Ming Wang, SP: 15-day DL with hip abductor muscle weakness.
TIGERS
- Matt Treanor, C: 15-day DL with a torn labrum in his right hip.
- Marcus Thames, OF: 15-day DL with a left ribcage strain.
- Jeremy Bonderman, SP: 15-day DL as he recovers from thoracic outlet surgery.
- Dontrelle Willis, SP: 15-day DL with an anxiety disorder.
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B: 15-day DL with a torn labrum in right hip. He is down in Tampa rehabbing at the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa. He's expected back in early to mid May.
- Xavier Nady, RF: 15-day DL with an injured right elbow. It was thought that he would need season-ending surgery, but it is now being reported that he may avoid the surgery and miss just 4-6 weeks.
- Cody Ransom, INF: 60-day DL with a strained right quad.
- Brian Bruney, RP: 15-day DL with a sore right elbow.
- Chien-Ming Wang, SP: 15-day DL with hip abductor muscle weakness.
TIGERS
- Matt Treanor, C: 15-day DL with a torn labrum in his right hip.
- Marcus Thames, OF: 15-day DL with a left ribcage strain.
- Jeremy Bonderman, SP: 15-day DL as he recovers from thoracic outlet surgery.
- Dontrelle Willis, SP: 15-day DL with an anxiety disorder.
4 Comments:
3 great pitching matchups. I'm so excited to have Hughes pitching tomorrow. I hope he does well enough to stay here all season, but then what happens to Wang?
-Nyyfn
Nyyfn....Then you move Joba back to the pen...WHERE HE BELONGS
Guys, they're not moving Joba into the pen.
I believe the Yanks have to win tonight.
A lose would create different things:
1) Sabathia would be destroyed by the media and fans in the eventuality of another bad start
2) Phil Hughes can't be asked to be the stopper in his first start since being a bust last year. We don't know if he has this kinds of nerves right now. Let's him start a middle game when the first has already be won and not give him the opportunity to lose the series right away.
All of that said, as long as the staff is the worst in ERA in the Majors, the Yankees are going nowhere.
Go Bombers.
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