The New York Yankees (48-40) moved 3 ½ games clear at the top of the AL East standings with a thrilling victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. The Yankees will look to stretch that advantage even further when they take on the Seattle Mariners (41-48) in the opening game of their three-game set this coming Friday.
Who will emerge victorious in this American League matchup? Read on below for a breakdown of this game and while you’re at it you can check out our MLB previews of Minnesota vs. Oakland and Texas vs. Houston.
The Seattle Mariners ended the first half of the season on a sour note after absorbing an embarrassing 10-3 setback against the high-flying Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Taijuan Walker picked up his first loss in seven games, allowing six runs on seven hits in just five innings of action against the Angels.
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Mariners will look to turn their fortunes around this coming Friday when they take on the Yankees in Game 1 of their three-game series. Starting for the Mariners in the series opener is left-hander Mike Montgomery (4-3, 2.29 ERA). The Mariners have won three of their last four games with Montgomery as their starter.
The 26-year-old struggled in his last start for Seattle, allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings of work in the Mariners’ 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Montgomery has already faced the Yankees once this season, tossing six innings of one-run ball in Seattle’s 5-3 loss against New York on June 2.
He will be licking his chops at the prospect of meeting New York at Yankee Stadium as he has fared extremely well on the road in his career. In 20.2 innings pitched this season, the rookie has posted an incredible 0.87 ERA in his three away starts.
The Mariners are 4-2 in their last six road games.
The New York Yankees returned to winning ways Sunday with a nerve-wracking 8-6 victory against the Boston Red Sox. Alex Rodriguez was the hero once again for the Yankees, delivering a key sixth-inning double that gave New York the lead for good. It was a historic ballgame for Rodriguez who recorded his 3,020th hit to move into the top 25 on baseball’s all-time list.
Rodriguez has been a vital cog to the Yankees’ surprising success this season. He leads the team in walks this season with 46 to his name. He is also second on the team in homers (18) and third in RBIs (51). The designated hitter has been on fire for the Yankees in his last five games, drilling two homers and recording four RBIs.
Another hitter who’s been in fine form for the Yankees in the first half is Mark Teixeira. He leads the team not only in home runs (22) but also in walks (46) and RBIs (61).
Starting for the Yankees this coming Friday is Masahiro Tanaka (5-3, 3.63 ERA). He was superb in his last start, allowing just one run on two hits in 7.2 innings of work in New York’s 6-2 win against Oakland on July 9. The Yankees have now won eight of their last 10 games with Tanaka as their starter.
Tanaka has faced the Mariners once this season, hurling seven innings of one-run ball in New York’s 3-1 victory on June 3. Tanaka was simply dominant in that game against Seattle, recording a season-high nine strikeouts.
