The Yankees will not get a respite the day after facing Alek Manoah, who is in the running for the American League Cy Young Award this year, and preventing the Toronto Blue Jays from sweeping them in a four-game series. A two-game series against the Mets is coming up on Monday and Tuesday, and the threat of meeting the two-headed monster that sits atop their crosstown rival’s starting rotation is looming over the Nationals.
At Yankee Stadium on Monday evening, the first pitcher that is slated to take the mound is Max Scherzer. It had been anticipated that Jacob deGrom would follow, maintaining their current streak of back-to-back starts. However, it is possible that he may be moved back, providing the struggling Yankees with a little breather, so that the Mets can give Taijuan Walker a start instead.
Despite the fact that Walker underwent a magnetic resonance imaging test that showed he had a bulging disc, he was able to take part in pitcher fielding practise on Sunday. Walker was forced to leave his start on Tuesday because to back spasms. Buck Showalter, the manager of the Mets, informed reporters that the exercise went well and that Walker is now in position to start on Tuesday. However, the Mets won’t make a decision on Walker’s start until Monday.
In any case, the Yankees face a difficult challenge at a point in the season when they may benefit from a few more favourable matchups. Even though they prevailed over the Blue Jays by a score of 4-2, on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, thanks to Andrew Benintendi’s first home run since being dealt from Kansas City, the Yankees have only five wins so far in August and are coming off of a month in which they split their games evenly with the opposition.
After Benintendi hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning off Adam Cimber, the manager of the Yankees, Aaron Boone, noted that it was “no secret what we’re going through.” “That was a significant blow, and it was a crucial game.”
On Sunday, the Yankees (74-48) scored the same number of runs as they had in the previous three games combined against the Toronto Blue Jays (74-48). Up until July 8, the Yankees had a lead of 15.5 games in the American League East. However, that lead has now been cut down to eight games, giving Toronto and Tampa Bay a chance to catch up.
That provides a lot of breathing room for a club that, for the first three months of the season, had all the makings of a contender for the World Series. However, the Mets (79-44) have been playing at a much higher level over the last several weeks, and the idea of facing Scherzer and maybe deGrom is intimidating for any club.
Scherzer, who throws right-handed and is 38 years old, is putting together another outstanding season to add to his resume. In his debut season with the Mets, he had an earned run average of 2.15. In his most recent start against Atlanta on Wednesday, he surrendered four earned runs over the course of six and one-third innings. He exited the game with the Mets leading 6-1, but when he gave way to Adam Ottavino, who allowed a three-run homer later in the eighth, the bases were loaded. The Mets ultimately lost the game.
DeGrom, on the other hand, made his first appearance of the season on August 2 after coming back from a shoulder injury. Right-handed pitcher DeGrom, who is 34 years old, has been himself throughout his four starts. He has allowed six earned runs over 23.1/3 innings while striking out 37 batters and only walking one. During deGrom’s most recent start, which was against Atlanta, he went six and two-thirds innings, allowed three runs, and struck out nine batters.
Even if the Yankees end up facing Walker on Tuesday, he won’t be a simple opponent for them to deal with. Walker, who will be an All-Star in 2021, has made 21 starts this year and has a 3.36 earned run average (ERA). On July 26, he won a game against the Yankees. Walker, who is now 30 years old, limited the Yankees to only three runs during that game at Citi Field, and the Mets went on to win both games of that series.
Now that they get their chance, the Yankees want to get their payback. But more importantly, they are hope to continue their winning streak after squeaking out a victory in a tough series against a rival from the same division in a hard-fought battle.
Benintendi was quoted as saying, “You absolutely never want to be swept, and to win this final one was significant.” “Here’s hoping that this will be the beginning of a small winning run. Even if it’s not the best situation, we’re at a very good place right now.