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King Felix, Mariners Close Series At NY Yankees
The New York Yankees are trying to keep pace with the Boston Red Sox in the American League East standings and have been given a reprieve in the schedule by hosting the lowly Seattle Mariners. The two teams close out a three-game series Wednesday with the first pitch scheduled for 10:05 a.m. (PT) at Yankee Stadium.
Seattle had its franchise-record losing streak reach 16 games with a 10-3 blowout loss to the Yankees Monday night and it will likely continue heading into the series finale. The Mariners will be facing Yankees’ ace C.C. Sabathia Tuesday night, who is currently listed at -325 for the contest.
Over the course of the streak, the club has been outscored by a 97-44 margin, while seeing it fall from 2.5-games back in the AL West standings to its current place of 15.5-games behind the Texas Rangers.
Last year’s Cy Young Award winner, Felix Hernandez (8-9, 3.47 ERA), will be toeing the rubber in this daytime contest. The right-hander will be looking to pick up his first victory since June 24, while coming off a disappointing effort versus the Red Sox, giving up six runs and 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 7-4 road loss.
Hernandez will be making just his eighth start during the day, bringing in a 2-3 mark and 3.08 ERA, surrendering just a single home run in 49 2/3 frames. That’s an important statistic considering the Yankees lead the majors in round trippers.
The 25-year-old will be facing the Bronx Bombers for the 10th time in his career, posting a winning 5-3 record and 2.98 ERA, while not allowing a single run at new Yankee Stadium in 17 innings. It’s not surprising due to those numbers that the Mariners are 5-0 in Hernandez’s last five starts versus the Yankees.
New York can ill-afford to slip up during the next five games, as it welcomes in the Baltimore Orioles for a four-game series starting Thursday. The Yankees have been taking care of business by winning 15 of their last 19 home games. The team has also flourished under the sunlight this year by posting a major league-best 29-6 daytime record. The offense has a .279 combined batting average and AL-leading 48 home runs in those contests.
Phil Hughes (1-2, 9.47 ERA) is suffering through a forgettable 2011 campaign, but the offense has picked him up with 24 runs of support in his last two starts. Opposing hitters are batting a gaudy .345 against him.
The former first-round selection has tallied a solid 10-5 record and 4.69 ERA in 37 career appearances (19 starts) during the day, issuing 35 walks and registering 106 strikeouts in 121 innings. In six lifetime outings (three starts) versus the Mariners, Hughes is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA. He has limited Mariners infielder Chone Figgins to just a single hit in nine career at-bats against him.
Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt has not been a pitcher’s best friend with the ‘over’ going 12-4 in his 16 assignments behind the dish this season. It’s also important to point out that both pitchers have failed to taste victory in Wendelstedt’s strike zone, as Seattle has dropped both contests with Hernandez on the mound and New York losing 2-1 to Boston on August 9, 2010 at Yankee Stadium.
Weather forecasts suggest mostly sunny skies in the Bronx and game-time temperatures in the mid-80s. The wins will be blowing out of the northwest at 5-10 mph (out to right).
The New York Yankees are trying to keep pace with the Boston Red Sox in the American League East standings and have been given a reprieve in the schedule by hosting the lowly Seattle Mariners. The two teams close out a three-game series Wednesday with the first pitch scheduled for 10:05 a.m. (PT) at Yankee Stadium.
Seattle had its franchise-record losing streak reach 16 games with a 10-3 blowout loss to the Yankees Monday night and it will likely continue heading into the series finale. The Mariners will be facing Yankees’ ace C.C. Sabathia Tuesday night, who is currently listed at -325 for the contest.
Over the course of the streak, the club has been outscored by a 97-44 margin, while seeing it fall from 2.5-games back in the AL West standings to its current place of 15.5-games behind the Texas Rangers.
Last year’s Cy Young Award winner, Felix Hernandez (8-9, 3.47 ERA), will be toeing the rubber in this daytime contest. The right-hander will be looking to pick up his first victory since June 24, while coming off a disappointing effort versus the Red Sox, giving up six runs and 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 7-4 road loss.
Hernandez will be making just his eighth start during the day, bringing in a 2-3 mark and 3.08 ERA, surrendering just a single home run in 49 2/3 frames. That’s an important statistic considering the Yankees lead the majors in round trippers.
The 25-year-old will be facing the Bronx Bombers for the 10th time in his career, posting a winning 5-3 record and 2.98 ERA, while not allowing a single run at new Yankee Stadium in 17 innings. It’s not surprising due to those numbers that the Mariners are 5-0 in Hernandez’s last five starts versus the Yankees.
New York can ill-afford to slip up during the next five games, as it welcomes in the Baltimore Orioles for a four-game series starting Thursday. The Yankees have been taking care of business by winning 15 of their last 19 home games. The team has also flourished under the sunlight this year by posting a major league-best 29-6 daytime record. The offense has a .279 combined batting average and AL-leading 48 home runs in those contests.
Phil Hughes (1-2, 9.47 ERA) is suffering through a forgettable 2011 campaign, but the offense has picked him up with 24 runs of support in his last two starts. Opposing hitters are batting a gaudy .345 against him.
The former first-round selection has tallied a solid 10-5 record and 4.69 ERA in 37 career appearances (19 starts) during the day, issuing 35 walks and registering 106 strikeouts in 121 innings. In six lifetime outings (three starts) versus the Mariners, Hughes is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA. He has limited Mariners infielder Chone Figgins to just a single hit in nine career at-bats against him.
Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt has not been a pitcher’s best friend with the ‘over’ going 12-4 in his 16 assignments behind the dish this season. It’s also important to point out that both pitchers have failed to taste victory in Wendelstedt’s strike zone, as Seattle has dropped both contests with Hernandez on the mound and New York losing 2-1 to Boston on August 9, 2010 at Yankee Stadium.
Weather forecasts suggest mostly sunny skies in the Bronx and game-time temperatures in the mid-80s. The wins will be blowing out of the northwest at 5-10 mph (out to right).
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