The Yankees knew going into August that they had a great chance to pull away in the American League East. At the moment, they are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for first place, who picked up a win on Thursday while the Yankees were enjoying a day off.
Yankees’ Push for the Lead in AL East
The Yankees secured two out of three games against the Chicago White Sox and are preparing to face off against the Detroit Tigers, a team that has won four straight games, sweeping the Seattle Mariners. Seattle is currently in second place in the AL West, sitting three games behind the Houston Astros.
Assessing the Detroit Tigers
The Tigers sit 13.5 games back in the Central Division, putting them in no man’s land, but most certainly missing the postseason. However, they’re playing for pride, and the Yankees can’t disregard their hot stretch, having put up 15 runs against Seattle in Game 1 of their previous series. The Yankees are susceptible to weaker opponents elevating their game, and they need to put on a strong performance.
Gerrit Cole’s Anticipated Start
Gerrit Cole will take the mound on Friday, with the 33-year-old enjoying a solid start against Texas on August 10. He tossed 5.1 innings, giving up just one earned run and striking out 10 batters. It was one of his best outings of the season, showcasing dominant control. This was the version of Cole we’ve been waiting for, but he currently hosts a 4.70 ERA over just 46 innings this year.
The Yankees need him at full capacity, and he’s been dealing with some fatigue issues recently. They need another gem against Detroit to start the weekend before handing the ball off to Carlos Rodon on Saturday and Marcus Stroman on Sunday.
Detroit still hadn’t decided on their starting pitcher for Friday night as of the morning, but the Yankees’ offense has been red hot, especially Juan Soto, who has mashed four home runs in his last two games, including five RBIs.
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Looking Ahead
The Yanks have a tremendous opportunity to beat up on a weaker opponent before a tough series against the Cleveland Guardians starting next Tuesday. Cleveland is one of the best teams in baseball and will undoubtedly represent a preview of what the postseason might look like for the Yankees.