After an embarrassing series loss in Baltimore over the weekend, the New York Yankees (6-5) started the week with a win in Detroit on Tuesday, despite a short start from their ace. Now they look for a win streak against a Tigers team that is 4-6 on the young season. Game two of the three-game series is set for 6:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Comerica Park, televised regionally on YES and Bally Sports Detroit.
The Yankees send RHP Luis Severino (1-0, 2.25) to the mound on Wednesday against Tigers LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 5.87). The teams split six games in 2021, with the home team earning a three-game sweep in each series. Since they didn’t play in 2020, the win on Tuesday was the first for the Yankees at Comerica Park since September 2019.
Bullpen Saves Yankees
The Yankees had a rare night on Tuesday as they won without hitting any home runs or even any extra-base hits. All six hits were singles, and the Yankees scored in three different innings. The Yankees scored two runs on an error, another on a sacrifice fly from Aaron Hicks, and the only one that came from a hit was a 9th inning single from D.J. LeMahieu.
Giancarlo Stanton is batting .256 so far this season with two homers and eight RBI. Aaron Judge is hitting .250 with just one RBI on a solo home run. Hicks leads the team with a .345 average while LeMahieu is batting .313, but Anthony Rizzo (.200), Josh Donaldson (.182), and Joey Gallo (.121) are struggling.
The relief pitching got it done on Tuesday as ace Gerrit Cole didn’t get past the second inning. He walked five but allowed just two runs in 1 ⅔ innings. Manager Aaron Boone navigated the final 7 ⅓ innings with five relievers who combined allowed three hits, no runs, and struck out eight,
Severino has made two starts this season and logged a win on Thursday against Toronto. He allowed three hits over five shutout innings while walking two and striking out six. Wednesday will be his first start against the Tigers since August 31, 2018
Tigers Offense a No-Show
The Tigers had four hits on Tuesday, all singles, and only two from last night’s starting line are batting over .210. Austin Meadows is off to a great start with his new team batting .370, and veteran Miguel Cabrera is hitting .287. Newcomer Javy Baez is on the IL, rookie Spencer Torkelson is batting .207, while Robbie Grossman, Jeimer Candelario, Jonathan Schoop, and Akil Baddoo are all batting under .135.
Torkelson has two of the Tigers’ six home runs, and Detroit is among the league leaders with nearly ten strikeouts per game. They are dead last in the AL in team batting average (.201) and next-to-last in runs scored with 3.0 per game.
Rodriguez was roughed up in his last outing, allowing seven runs on five hits and three walks in just 3 ⅔ innings against Boston on Thursday. Only two of the runs ended up being earned, but he took the loss. Rodriguez hasn’t gone past four innings in either of his starts yet this season, and he has five walks to seven strikeouts in 7 ⅔ innings.
Last year with the Red Sox, he faced the Yankees five times, going 1-0. In 23 innings, he allowed eight runs on 20 hits while striking out 32 and walking just five. Stanton was 1-for-12 against Rodriguez last year, Judge was 1-for-7 with a homer, LeMahieu was 6-for-13, Rizzo was 0-for-3, and Gleyber Torres was 3-for-8.
Betting Analysis
- New York Yankees -1.5 (+100) Money line -170
- Detroit Tigers +1.5 (-120) Money Line +150
- Total Runs: 7.5 Over -105, Under -115
The Yankees had more than a base runner per inning against Rodriguez last year, but he minimized the damage with the strikeouts. So far this year, he hasn’t been as deadly with the K, but in a small sample size, the Yankees are batting just .205 with one homer against lefties in 2022.
Severino is the X-factor here as he should go deeper in the game than Rodriguez as he throws strikes and gets to face a lineup that is struggling mightily to start the season.
Betting Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+100)
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