If you missed the three-game series with the Angels, here’s the short version: The Yankees played very well, and the Angels didn’t so it was a three-game sweep.
But if you want a little more detail…
The story of the series (again) was the Yankees pitching. Los Angeles came into the series fourth in MLB in runs per game and the Yankees staff held them to one run in each of the three games by consistently generating weak contact – a specialty of Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes, and Jameson Taillon all season long. Although to be fair, allowing a minuscule .208 BABIP over the three games is also partly good fortune, and of course, the fielders held up their end of the bargain as well.
Offensively, the bats weren’t too shabby either as the Bombers went deep six times in the series, part of 33 hits overall added to 11 walks. (Pro tip: 44 baserunners in 24 innings is A LOT.) On an individual basis, Jose Trevino continued his hot streak with five hits in eight at-bats including a bomb, and both Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo showed signs of life going a combined six for 16 (.375) with four walks (.500 OBP). And we can’t move on without mentioning Matt Carpenter who continues to look like the 2018 version of the player who posted a 140 wRC+ with St. Louis – Carpenter added two more long balls to his Yankee resume against the Angels.
Moving on:
The Detroit Tigers will be in the Bronx this weekend for a three-game weekend set. The Tigers got off to a surprisingly bad start in 2022 but have won seven of their last nine games and are only eight games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central, and only 5.5 back in the Wild Card standings.
The Tigers’ offense has been awful this season, as even during their recent streak of seven out of nine they barely surpassed the three runs per game mark. On the season, they’ve averaged an almost unimaginable 2.86 R/G, more than one-half run worse than the next pathetic offense. They have both the lowest home run percentage and extra-base hit percentage in MLB, with the second-lowest walk rate. And for what it’s worth when they do get on base, the baserunning has been atrocious as they’re worse than league average in both outs made on the bases and extra bases taken – a paradox that reminds us of the 2021 Yankees.
On the run prevention side, they’ve been good as they’ve allowed the seventh-fewest runs per game in baseball so far in 2022. The pitching staff’s FIP and ERA+ have both been a little better than league average, but the defense which has turned batted balls into outs at a higher rate than every team in MLB is really what’s made them stingy.
As I’ve mentioned, the schedule gets tough for the Yankees later in June. They need to take advantage of this soft landing spot and get two out of three this weekend at a bare minimum.
Expected Starters and how to watch:
Friday, 7:05 PM, Apple TV, Elvin Rodríguez vs. Gerrit Cole
Saturday, 1:05 PM, MLB Network and the YES Network, Beau Briske vs. Luis Severino
Sunday 11:35 AM, Peacock, Rony García vs. Jordan Montgomery.
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