Showalter’s O’s swing into Yankee Stadium
Perhaps the hottest hitter in the majors resides in the Bronx. As a team, the Yankees are doing just fine, too.
New York will attempt to make Baltimore’s wild-card pursuit a bit more difficult tonight, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch in the Empire State. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI lean toward the host squad, while the O’s represent +100 underdogs. The over/under run total sits at 9.5.
Buoyed by Gary Sanchez’s fence-clearing exploits, Joe Girardi’s troops have won 12 of their past 20 contests. The rookie catcher is one of five players since 1913 with nine or more homers in his first 21 games. He and a pair of other twentysomethings, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks, currently represent the heart of the Yanks’ lineup.
Yovani Gallardo is tasked with corralling the youth movement this evening. The veteran righty has surrendered three earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts. He’s 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA in four career outings against New York.
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Girardi counters with Luis Cessa, who continues to fill in for the injured Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) in the Yankees’ rotation. The 24-year-old was impressive last weekend, yielding two hits in six shutout innings during a 5-1 victory at Angel Stadium. Shortly, though, he must tackle a lineup that leads the AL East in homers (197).
If the playoffs started today, Baltimore would be in. Yet manager Buck Showalter understands the need to play better on the road, where the O’s are 28-35. Look for Adam Jones & Co. to jump on Cessa early before turning it over to lights-out closer Zack Britton late.
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