The Yankees master plan still makes sense. It just happens to fall apart for three hours each day. The American League’s highest payroll has a nice seat in last place in the AL East after getting swept by the Athletics. New York is looking for better things when the Tampa Bay Rays visit.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
Bad doesn’t begin to describe the Yankees play recently. “Right now we are not scoring runs and everything looks bad,” manager Joe Girardi said after Thursday’s sloppy loss to the Athletics. The Yankees ran the bases foolishly, pitched poorly in situations, failed to catch the ball on a critical double play and can’t hit their way out of wet paper bag.
The defeat was the Yanks’ seventh in eight games and during that stretch they are 4 for 58 with runners in scoring position; a number that has helped New York cash the under five times in six games. Three weeks into a 162-game season is a small sample size to predict where the Yankees are headed. However, the body of work so far has shown enough alarming trends to believe this bunch is in need of a boost.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Erasmo Ramirez (4-0, 1.29 ERA) is likely to get the call Saturday for his second start and seventh appearance of the season. He recorded four outs on Thursday in Boston throwing 21 pitches to pick up his MLB-best fourth win of the year.
The Rays decided to go with a four-man rotation at the start of the season due to several days off in early April and Ramirez was the odd man out, though he’s thrived in the relief role. He is likely to return to the rotation once the schedule shows games every day.
Masahiro Tanaka (1-0, 3.06 ERA) turned in a sharp effort last time out, limiting the Mariners to three runs – two earned – and six hits over seven innings to pick up his first win of the season. He has yet to put together a dominant start, but his last was a step in the right direction. He struck out six without walking a batter – this after walking four his last time out.
Tanaka is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three career starts against the Rays and allowed two hits in seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts in a 9-0 win over them last Apr. 18.
LIVE BETTING
Girardi is limited in what he can do with the Yankees’ aging lineup, but he must do something to get these hitters moving in the right direction. New York can’t just sit back and wait for the day Bryce Harper becomes a free agent.
In Wednesday’s loss to Oakland, the Yanks once again were hitless – going 0 for 4 – with runners in scoring position. For the season they own a grand total of six hits with two outs and runners in scoring position. An off-the-charts ugly total and dead last in the majors. Overall the Yanks are batting .189 with runners in scoring position, 27th in the majors, and just .125 with two outs and runners in scoring position. New York had five players in Wednesday’s lineup hitting .220 or lower.
QUICK PICK
Rays manager Kevin Cash made it clear that finding success against the Yankees this MLB season means staying away from the hard-throwing relievers in the bullpen. If they can hit the Yankees’ starters like they clubbed former teammate and Red Sox ace David Price on Thursday, they won’t have to worry about it.
The Rays jumped all over Price and showed an unexpected offensive flair against one of the best in the business. Tanaka has looked sharp for the Yanks and needs a lockdown effort to support a team that has struggled with the bat. Third baseman Evan Longoria could supply the needed offensive punch for the Rays. His 41 RBIs in the new Yankee Stadium are the most by a visiting player. His 14 home runs are second only to Jose Bautista’s 17.
MLB Odds: Toronto 4, New York 3
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