Preview: Yankees at Tigers (Game 1)
Gracenote
Jun 3, 2018
The New York Yankees have nearly been unstoppable since splitting their first 18 games this season, although Mother Nature has done her best to cool off the club. After being postponed for the seventh time in 2018, the Yankees (37-17) will visit the Detroit Tigers (28-31) on Monday for a doubleheader that came to pass after the teams had a game postponed on April 14 and again the following day.
Miguel Andujar, who has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games, had a triple and a double while scoring twice in New York's 8-6 win over Detroit on April 13. Aaron Hicks had an inside-the-park homer to go along with a conventional one in that contest, and enters Monday's tilts after going 6-for-11 with three RBIs and as many runs scored in his last three games after an 0-for-13 stretch. While the Yankees have won 28 of 36 to keep the heat on Boston in the American League East, Detroit sustained its first loss since a Canada Goose became a beloved fixture at Comerica Park on Wednesday. Leonys Martin homered to extend his hitting streak to five games in Sunday's 8-4 setback versus Toronto and will bid to atone for his earlier miscue against the Yankees, when he missed a carom off the wall to allow Hicks to circle the bases.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (8-1, 2.31 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Drew VerHagen (0-1, 6.30)
Severino matched a season high with 11 strikeouts in Wednesday's 5-3 win versus Houston, improving to 6-0 with a slim 1.95 ERA since being tagged for his lone loss of the season. The 24-year-old Dominican has limited the opposition to three runs or fewer in each of his last nine starts, although he has been taken deep in each of his last two trips to the mound. Nicholas Castellanos is 4-for-8 against Severino, but the right-hander owns a 2-1 mark with a 2.70 ERA in three career appearances versus Detroit.
VerHagen is being summoned to start exactly five weeks after he was designated for assignment following his troubles while pitching out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old boasts a 2-0 mark with a 1.32 ERA while striking out 41 in six starts (27 1/3 innings) for Triple-A Toledo. "I've watched a couple of his games. He's actually throwing the ball really well," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire told MLive. "He's throwing strikes with all of his pitches. His curveball's been good. He's pretty much done exactly what we asked him to do: Go down there and figure out a way to throw the ball over the plate."
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit has recorded at least one two-base hit in 50 consecutive games, one shy of the 1999 Atlanta Braves for third place on the all-time list.
2. New York is sporting a scintillating 10-1 record against AL Central representatives this season.
3. Tigers 3B Jeimer Candelario has reached base in 28 straight games, tied for the 10th-longest streak in team history since 2001.
PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Tigers 2
Gracenote
Jun 3, 2018
The New York Yankees have nearly been unstoppable since splitting their first 18 games this season, although Mother Nature has done her best to cool off the club. After being postponed for the seventh time in 2018, the Yankees (37-17) will visit the Detroit Tigers (28-31) on Monday for a doubleheader that came to pass after the teams had a game postponed on April 14 and again the following day.
Miguel Andujar, who has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games, had a triple and a double while scoring twice in New York's 8-6 win over Detroit on April 13. Aaron Hicks had an inside-the-park homer to go along with a conventional one in that contest, and enters Monday's tilts after going 6-for-11 with three RBIs and as many runs scored in his last three games after an 0-for-13 stretch. While the Yankees have won 28 of 36 to keep the heat on Boston in the American League East, Detroit sustained its first loss since a Canada Goose became a beloved fixture at Comerica Park on Wednesday. Leonys Martin homered to extend his hitting streak to five games in Sunday's 8-4 setback versus Toronto and will bid to atone for his earlier miscue against the Yankees, when he missed a carom off the wall to allow Hicks to circle the bases.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (8-1, 2.31 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Drew VerHagen (0-1, 6.30)
Severino matched a season high with 11 strikeouts in Wednesday's 5-3 win versus Houston, improving to 6-0 with a slim 1.95 ERA since being tagged for his lone loss of the season. The 24-year-old Dominican has limited the opposition to three runs or fewer in each of his last nine starts, although he has been taken deep in each of his last two trips to the mound. Nicholas Castellanos is 4-for-8 against Severino, but the right-hander owns a 2-1 mark with a 2.70 ERA in three career appearances versus Detroit.
VerHagen is being summoned to start exactly five weeks after he was designated for assignment following his troubles while pitching out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old boasts a 2-0 mark with a 1.32 ERA while striking out 41 in six starts (27 1/3 innings) for Triple-A Toledo. "I've watched a couple of his games. He's actually throwing the ball really well," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire told MLive. "He's throwing strikes with all of his pitches. His curveball's been good. He's pretty much done exactly what we asked him to do: Go down there and figure out a way to throw the ball over the plate."
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit has recorded at least one two-base hit in 50 consecutive games, one shy of the 1999 Atlanta Braves for third place on the all-time list.
2. New York is sporting a scintillating 10-1 record against AL Central representatives this season.
3. Tigers 3B Jeimer Candelario has reached base in 28 straight games, tied for the 10th-longest streak in team history since 2001.
PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Tigers 2