The New York Yankees will head home to the Bronx following a lengthy west coast trip, finishing 6-3 on the week. They will take on a strong Minnesota Twins team, who are currently 18-10 and are leading the AL Central. Having dropped the last two games, the Bronx Bombers look for another series win.
Game One: James Paxton vs. Kyle Gibson
James Paxton is coming off a three-game winning streak, with his last outing being against the San Francisco Giants. Paxton went 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs and fanned eight. The strikeout count has been high for the Yankees’ left-hander, as he tied the club’s record of 12 strikeouts in consecutive outings. Paxton currently has 51 strikeouts on the season. The Twins are throwing RHP Kyle Gibson, credited with a 4.88 ERA on the year. After starting with a 7.36 ERA, Gibson has settled down; only allowing three earned runs in his past two outings.
Game Two: J.A. Happ and Jake Odorizzi
J.A. Happ‘s start to the season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. A recurring theme has been apparent in each of his outings, where he has allowed runs in the early innings of the game and then settling in through the later innings. Yankees’ offense has helped Happ, as they been able to come back from run deficits. Regardless of Happ’s early struggles, his most recent outing against the San Francisco Giants was dominate. Going the distance (7.0 IP), Happ allowed five hits and no earned runs. Twins’ crafty RHP, Jake Odorizzi, is coming off a strong outing against the Houston Astros, where he outdueled Astros’ ace, Justin Verlander. Odorizzi, commanding his slider and cutter, was able to shut down the Astros offense in only 86 pitches.
Game Three: Domingo German and Michael Pineda
Game three will be one of the most anticipated games this series. Domingo German, who has stepped up in Luis Severino‘s absence due to injury, has been everything the Yankees needed. Taking the ace role, German has a 5-1 record with a 2.56 ERA. Ex-Yankee, Michael Pineda will be taking the mound for the Twins. Yankee fans remember Pineda’s dominance in the Bronx, as he was considered the ace of the pitching staff during the 2014 season. This season, Pineda has struggled. Coming off a two-game losing streak, Pineda is credited with a 6.21 ERA in 29.0 innings pitched.
Players to watch
Yankees’ hitter Luke Voit poises a threat at the plate, as he is coming off a hot week on the west coast. In the last seven days, Voit batted .435 with seven RBIs and two home runs. Twins’ shortstop Eddie Rosario looks to do damage at the plate, as he leads the team in home runs (11).