The New York Yankees will look for their seventh win in a row, and to get one game closer to the Tampa Bay Rays, tonight in the Bronx. Last night the Yankees retook second place in the AL East with a 20-6 bashing of the Toronto Blue Jays with Deivi Garcia on the mound. Garcia has impressed with his second win in a row since his major league debut. Cole will pitch for his second win in a row, this time against the bats of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cole has not faced the Blue Jays this season.
The Yankees have new momentum as they approach the last thirteen games of the season. The Yankees had a very rough stretch when they lost seven in a row in August and another four in a row at the beginning of this month. Since then, at various times, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Jonathan Loaisiga, Zack Britton, and Gio Urshela have all returned from the IL. At present, Gleyber Torres is out, having reinjured his calf, although he is on day to day. With all these additions to the team, they broke their losing ways, winning six games in a row with 48 runs scored, as the team hitting came alive.
Tonight, in the first inning at Yankee Stadium, Gerrit Cole will take the mound looking for his second win in a row. In his last outing against the Baltimore Orioles, he pitched 114 pitches on his way to a seven-inning shut out of the Orioles. Cole allowed two hits and a walk while striking out nine batters. Although Cole is 5-3 with an ERA of 3.20, he has often struggled and used a lot of pitches in his games. In his last outing, he showed the dominance the Yankees have been expected from him. Yankee fans hope he rides that into tonight’s game.
Cole will face the Blue Jay’s Tanner Roark, who is 2-1 with an ERA of 5.60. The Yankees can take advantage of Roark, who gives up home runs and walks hitters. Back on September 9th, when the Yankees weren’t hitting well, Roark beat the Yankees in Buffalo 7-2. Roark went four innings in the game and allowed two homers while walking three Yankees.
After tonight’s game, the New York Yankees will have one more game with the Jays. Masahiro Tanaka will take the mound for the Yankees. The Yankees will then host a three-game series at the Stadium against the Red Sox. Following that series, they will again meet up with the Blue Jays for a four-game set back in Buffalo. They will end the season with three games at the Stadium in the Bronx, against Derek Jeter’s Miami Marlins.