The Yankees have a chance to do something today they have done only once this season: Win a series. In fact, they’ve yet to win a series at home. Granted, this is only the third home series and fifth series overall, but still. Winning only one of the first four series and dropping series to the Orioles at Tigers at home was a big letdown. Adding a home series loss to the White Sox on top of that? Yikes.
This afternoon the Yankees have their best pitcher on the mound as they go for the sweep, and, in theory, the White Sox are a good matchup for Masahiro Tanaka. They have one of the highest chase rates in the league (31.9%) and he excels at getting hitters to swing at pitches out of the zone. Tanaka still has execute, of course, but if he does, it should be a good day. Here is the new look lineup:
New York Yankees
1. 2B DJ LeMahieu
2. RF Aaron Judge
3. SS Gleyber Torres
4. 1B Luke Voit
5. DH Clint Frazier
6. CF Brett Gardner
7. 3B Gio Urshela
8. C Kyle Higashioka
9. LF Mike Tauchman
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
Chicago White Sox
1. CF Leury Garcia
2. 3B Yoan Moncada
3. DH Jose Abreu
4. 1B Yonder Alonso
5. LF Eloy Jimenez
6. SS Tim Anderson
7. C James McCann
8. RF Daniel Palka
9. 2B Yolmer Sanchez
LHP Carlos Rodon
It is warm and a bit cloudy in the Bronx this afternoon. There is some rain in the forecast later today, though it shouldn’t interrupt the game unless it goes deep into extra innings. Today’s series finale will begin at 1:05pm ET and you can watch on the YES Network locally and MLB Network nationally.
Injury Updates: Aaron Hicks (back) is with the Yankees in New York, but only temporarily. He’s in town to get his apartment situated. His rehab work is going well and he could graduate to on-field batting practice this coming week. The Yankees aren’t giving a firm timetable for his return because, well, they keep getting these things wrong … Austin Romine is available today. He got beat up a little bit Friday night and he was going to get the day game after the night game off yesterday anyway, so, with the off-day tomorrow, the Yankees are taking the opportunity to give him three straight days off to feel better.