Saturday, September 12, 2015

Double Fist



I can't remember a Yankee double-header ever being this important, taking place this late in the year.  Essentially two postseason games are being played in the Bronx today, 30 minutes apart from one another.  Way more often than not these things get split but today has the potential to make or break this pennant race.  If Toronto takes both games they'll be 4.5 up in the East heading into Sunday with three weeks left in the regular season.  If the Yanks take two they'll have a chance to take the division lead tomorrow with Tanaka on the mound.

Big Mike and Marco Estrada will kick things off at 1 before Nova and Marcus Stroman face off in Game 2.  You know everything is coming up Toronto when Marco Estrada is carrying a 3.18 ERA into September.  He's allowed more than two earned runs just once in his last fifteen outings and in his last two starts against the Yanks in August he went a combined 12.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs.  Stroman is making his first start of the season after recovering from knee surgery earlier this year so you can't be sure what you're going to get from him.  He's got awesome stuff, we've just got to hope he doesn't have all of it back yet.

Slade Heathcott and Gary Sanchez got the call today.  Heathcott returns for pinch-running and outfield depth while Sanchez dons the pinstripes for the first time as a potential righthanded bat off the bench.  The once highly touted but still sort of highly touted prospect has always been known for his bat and might be a nice surprise for the next few weeks but I wouldn't count on it.

As for Pineda and Nova, they haven't been awful but they have to be better.  Pineda's slider has to be sharper and Nova has to have better command if the pitching is going to will this team into the playoffs.  The news that Tex will miss the rest of the season, while predictable, does ensure that the lineup is never going to reach the pinnacle it hit during the summer.  If the Yanks are going to make a run at this thing then everyone, from the back end of the rotation to middle relief to guys coming in off the bench are going to have to step up starting today.

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