With their losing streak reaching five games, the New York Yankees have fallen out of first place in the AL East for the first time in six weeks and their bats have gone silent with just six runs scored in the streak. The Indians go for a fifth straight win and can finish their first three-game sweep of the Yankees at home since 1970.
ODDS ANALYSIS
New York’s run production was turned off like a faucet and their lead in the AL East evaporated too. The Yankees lost their fifth straight game Wednesday, falling 2-1 in Cleveland, and have dropped six of seven to fall a half game behind Toronto in the division. The Yankees scored 13 times in their last win before the current seven-game slide, capping an incredible stretch where they scored 90 runs in 10 games. Over their last seven games, however, the Yanks haven’t even matched their run total from that 13-3 win, tallying just nine runs, scoring two or fewer six times and getting shutout twice. Under bettors are cashing in on the Yanks current futility with the under at 6-1 in that stretch.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.15 ERA) has the majors’ second-best run support average at 7.42 and is looking for his 12th win after getting a no-decision in his last start against the Blue Jays on Friday, a 2-1, 10-inning defeat that triggered the Yanks current slide. He is 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his last nine outings and owns the fastest average fastball by an AL starter at 97.3 MPH, according to MLB.com.
Eovaldi faced Cleveland with Miami two years ago and despite throwing seven innings of one-run ball, he was tagged with the loss.
Trevor Bauer (9-8, 4.06 ERA) earned his first win in five starts Saturday by allowing four runs over 6.1 inning in a 17-4 rout of Minnesota. He surrendered three home runs and has now allowed 14 home runs in his last nine starts compiling a 5.27 ERA over that same stretch.
Bauer is 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts against New York.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“It’s hard to believe. Obviously we can’t control what they do over there or what any team does in the American League East. We have to worry about what we do. Whether we had a five-game lead or whether we’re tied, we still have to play good baseball.” – Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez after the team fell behind Toronto in the AL East standings.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Yankees fell out of first place for the first time since July 1 with Wednesday’s 2-1 loss in Cleveland. New York’s losing streak reached five games as it flushed what had been a seven-game lead in the division as recently as July 28. The Yanks managed just four hits Wednesday and are batting just .148 with six runs scored on their slide, their output a far cry from the Bomber days that produced 90 run over a 10-game span from July 25 to Aug. 4. Since then the Yankees have produced nine runs in seven games, losing six of those contests. Manager Joe Girardi noted that the Yankees lost three of the games in their slide by a 2-1 score, so at least the pitchers have been doing their jobs.
PROP TALK
Once a guy leaves San Diego he becomes a better player. It doesn’t happen all the time but it sure seems like it. Take the Indians new center fielder Abraham Almonte, who the Indians acquired from San Diego for Marc Rzepczynski. He accomplished in his first game with the Tribe what took him the final 14 games in San Diego to do – get four hits. Almonte stroked four hits against the Twins on Aug. 8 in his debut after collecting just 11 in 54 at-bats with the Padres. He’s hit safely in all four games with Cleveland going 7 for 19 with two doubles, two home runs, four runs scored and five RBIs. His lone hit in three at-bats against Eovaldi was a triple.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
A couple of deadline deals turned the AL East around and now the Yankees find themselves looking up at another team for the first time since July 1. Toronto made a huge splash at the trade deadline while the Yankees remained silent and now they are mired in a slump at the most inopportune time. We can say the Yanks are slumping but part of that is caused by the Indians, who are playing good ball and getting outstanding pitching. Nathan Eovaldi has been given plenty of run support this season and the Yankees are due to snap out of their slide.
New York 5, Cleveland 3
BookMaker will send out the baseball odds for this marquee matchup before any other sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians will take place Thursday, August 13, 2015, at 7:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
