Media by Associated Press – Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, second from left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a game-winning RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the 10th inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 31, 2022, in Houston. The Astros won 3-2 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The New York Yankees (69-34) look to become the Majors’ first team to win 70 games this season as they host the Seattle Mariners (55-48) in a potential playoff matchup. The first pitch on Monday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The game will stream on ESPN+ and air locally in both markets.
The Yankees will start RHP Domingo German (0-1, 8.22) against Mariners LHP Marco Gonzales (6-10, 3.66). These teams haven’t met yet this season and will play in Seattle next week. Last year the Yankees won the series 5-2 with a 3-1 mark at home.
Mariners Struggling Into New York
The Mariners are 4-6 since the All-Star break, with all six losses to the AL West leading Houston Astros. Seattle is 28-25 on the road this season and 46-34 against RHP. They are 12-15 against the AL East.
Rookie slugger Julio Rodriguez is out with injury, and the Mariners scored just ten runs in the four games in Houston. Jesse Winker went deep on Sunday, his ninth home run of the season, but the Mariners were hitless with runners in scoring position.
Despite landing on the IL Sunday with an injured hand, Rodriguez leads the team with 18 homers and 57 RBI. Ty France has 13 homers with 52 RBI, and Eugenio Suarez has 16 homers and 52 RBI. France is batting .308 with 19 doubles.
Gonzales last pitched on Wednesday in a win against Texas. He struck out five and allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings.
He has gone at least 5⅔ innings in eight straight starts. Gonzales is 2-5 on the road this season with a 3.83 ERA in nine starts, and overall he’s allowed 17 home runs.
Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks are the only Yankees with homers off Gonzales in their career. Andrew Benintendi is 0-for-10 against the lefty, while Aaron Judge is 0-for-6. Jose Trevino is 5-for-12, DJ LeMahieu is 2-for-6, and Gallo is 6-for-20 with two homers.
Judge Continues His Torrid Summer
The Yankees couldn’t finish the four-game sweep of Kansas City but did score 26 runs in the series. They are 40-13 at home on the season and 22-8 against LHP. The Yankees are 10-6 against teams from the AL West.
Judge was hitless Sunday after homering in each of the first three games in the series, including two on Friday. He leads the Majors with 42 home runs on the season and has 91 RBI to go with a .297 average.
The Yankees had a 6-4 lead after seven innings on Sunday before falling 8-6. LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo both homered and combined; they drove in five runs. Benintendi is 0-for-10 since joining the Yankees.
German returned from the IL in July after missing nearly a full year. He last pitched on Wednesday with a no-decision against the Mets, allowing two runs on five hits over 4⅔ innings. In his first outing of 2022, German lost at Houston on July 21, allowing five runs on six hits over three innings.
He last faced Seattle in 2018, getting a win with nine strikeouts over seven innings. German has only faced four players on the Mariners roster in his career. France is 1-for-1, and Carlos Santana is 1-for-2, while both Abraham Toro and J.P. Crawford are hitless.
Betting Analysis
- Seattle Mariners +1.5 (-130) Moneyline +160
- New York Yankees -1.5 (+110) Moneyline -190
- Total Runs 9 Over -110. Under -110
The Yankees rank second in the Majors in runs, fifth in homers, and third in average. Their team average and runs per game are better against lefties, but the power isn’t as good.
With German working his way back into fitness and the Yankees bullpen faltering lately, look for runs to be scored on Monday.
Betting Pick: Over 9 runs (-110)
Keep up with your latest MLB news coverage and betting pick previews at NJ Sportsbook.