The New York Yankees will end the regular season today at 3:05 pm at the Stadium in the Bronx, New York, against the Miami Marlins. The Yankees lost the first game of the series but had a huge turnaround last night, winning the game 11-4. The pitching was good, and the bats came alive with three home runs in the game. The Yankees had gone the previous six games without a home run. The Yankee team is built around power, and when there is none, they often lose.
Although the Yankees already have clinched a berth in the postseason, today’s game is significant. Today, who the Yankees play in the Wild Card Series will be decided. The Yankees will depend today, on Yankee number one prospect, Clarke Schmidt to get the win, while the Marlins will send out the right-hander, Jose Urena.
The lights will most likely be on at Yankee Stadium, as it will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of a passing shower. It will be quite humid, and the 3:05 game time temperature will be in the upper ’70s. The last game of the regular season will be televised on the YES Network and Fox Sports Florida. The game will not be nationally televised.
Today, the New York Yankees are putting their hopes on their number one pitching prospect Clarke Schmidt. For the 24-year-old righty, it will be his first major league start. Schmidt really impressed in Summer Camp; he made his major league debut on September 4th, in relief against the Baltimore Orioles, he gave up two runs in 1.1 innings of work. On September 7th, he pitched a scoreless inning while striking out two Toronto Blue Jays. He is 0-0 on the season with an ERA of 7.71. The Yankees hope he can be economical and go at least 70 pitches in today’s game.
The Yankees will face Jose Urena. Urena has had a checkered history with the Miami Marlins in his six-year career with the team. He has had five losing seasons, but in 2017 he shined with a 14-7 record. This year he is 0-3 in four starts with an ERA of 6.00. In his last start this past Tuesday, he gave up four earned runs in six innings of work. The Yankee’s powerful lineup needs to get to him early, that is when he is weakest and is subject to giving up home runs. Urena has only had four starts after returning to the rotation after a bout with the coronavirus early in the season.
After the most unusual season, the New York Yankees, for a fourth consecutive year, have punched their ticket to October play. The Yankees clinched when the Seattle Mariners lost to the San Diego Padres. The Yankees will participate in a three-game Wild Card Series against a team to be determined today. The winner of that series will advance to the American League postseason. The Yankees will remain in the “bubble” if they advance to the ALDS, at either Petco Park or Dodger Stadium. The ALCS will be played at Petco, and the World Series at the brand new Globe Life Field, in Arlington, Texas.
The whole “bubble” format is to minimize the chances of a coronavirus outbreak. A COVID-19 outbreak during the postseason would wreak havoc over the tournament’s schedule and competitive integrity.