MLB series of the week: Tigers at Yankees
By The Prez
Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees
Season series
New York took two of three at Comerica Park in late April. Ironically, Detroit’s lone win was against Yankees ace CC Sabathia. The Yankees totaled 19 runs (to Detroit’s six) while winning the final two games of the series.
In the middle game, the Bombers broke up a scoreless game by scoring 10 runs in the seventh inning.
The Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez was still on the disabled list when these two met the first time.
Detroit swept the Yankees three games last year in the Bronx for the franchise’s first three-game sweep in New York since 1966. But the Tigers are still just 9-21 in the past 30 games visiting the Yanks, although this will be their first chance at the new homer-happy Yankee Stadium.
The pitchers
Before the All-Star break, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he would set his rotation with aces Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander pegged for the final two games of this series.
Leyland broke up Verlander and Jackson from pitching in back-to-back games in June so he could help his bullpen, but admitted he wasn’t sure if he would continue that in the second half.
Friday
Detroit (Luke French, 1-0, 1.93) at New York (A.J. Burnett, 8-4, 3.77)
The rookie French has made two starts this year, winning his last time against Zack Greinke and the Royals. In Burnett’s final start before the break, he held the Twins to two runs in 6 1-3 innings for the victory. Since May 27, Burnett is 6-2 with a 2.01 ERA. He didn’t pitch against Detroit earlier this year.
Saturday
Detroit (Justin Verlander, 10-4, 3.38) at New York (CC Sabathia, 8-6, 3.86)
Verlander reached 10 wins by All-Star break for third time in four seasons and is on pace to exceed his career-high in innings by about 40. He got the lone win in the early-season series with New York, beating Sabathia. Verlander blanked New York for seven innings, striking out nine.
Sabathia, meanwhile, allowed four runs on eight innings that day. The big lefty is just 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA in three July starts. New York is just 9-10 in his starts this year.
Sunday
Detroit (Edwin Jackson, 7-4, 2.52) at New York (Joba Chamberlain, 4-2, 4.25)
Jackson shut down the National League in order during the fifth inning of the All-Star Game, throwing just four pitches. He beat the Indians in his final start before the break, ending a five-start winless streak.
Chamberlain’s longest outing this season came against Detroit on April 29. Joba allowed just one run in seven innings for his first win of the year and first victory since July 30, 2008. But Chamberlain was bombed by the Jays and Angels in his two final pre-break starts.
Tigers’ outfield platoon
If Leyland sticks to his plans to platoon Clete Thomas and Magglio Ordonez in right field, then Ordonez would only start this series against the lefty Sabathia.
Thomas, meanwhile, is 7-for-13 since being recalled from Triple-A last week. He finished Sunday’s win over Cleveland with a career-high five RBIs and a double short of the cycle.
"I'm seeing the ball pretty good," Thomas said.
Ordonez, a career .300 hitter, is batting .260, his lowest average since he began playing full-time in 1997. He also has just four homers.
Leyland is hoping this platoon gets Mags going; a four-game benching in mid-June didn’t do the trick.
Watching from home
Alex Rodriguez missed his first All-Star Game since 1999 after not being selected. He spent the time working with a rehab specialist on his hip and with his daughters.
A-Rod has been streaking of late: In the final 17 games before the All-Star break, Rodriguez batted .373 while knocking out eight dingers and driving in 22 runs.