Shaky rotation could be serious Safeco concern
SEATTLE — On the surface, the Yankees’ 3 ¹/₂-game lead over the A’s for the top AL wild-card spot seems comfortable enough because the clubs are done playing each other, having split six games. However, a look at the recent troubles of the Yankees’ rotation leaves the door open for the A’s to eke by and grab the home-field advantage for the one-and-done game. While Masahiro Tanaka, Friday night’s starter against the Mariners at Safeco Field, has been effective in his last two outings (1-1, 3.21 ERA, 14 innings) Lance Lynn and CC Sabathia, who hurl Saturday and Sunday, haven’t. In Lynn’s last four starts, the right-hander is 0-2 with a 9.16 ERA. Sabathia is 0-2 with a 6.75 in his previous two outings.
Based on Lynn having never faced the Mariners or pitched at Safeco, Sabathia likely provides a better chance for success.
In 28 games against the Mariners, the veteran lefty is 14-6 with a 2.57 ERA. In 14 starts at Safeco, Sabathia is 10-1 with a 2.08 ERA.
On June 12, Sabathia held the Mariners scoreless and allowed four hits in 5 ²/₃ innings at Yankee Stadium in a 3-0 victory.
Didi Gregorius is expected to come off the DL Friday night. Gregorius missed 16 games with a bruised left heel and the Yankees went 9-7 with Gleyber Torres (13 games) and Adeiny Hechavarria (3) at short.
Gregorius is hitting .270 with 22 homers and 74 RBIs in 118 games.
Andrew McCutchen is a better right fielder than Shane Robinson and Neil Walker who played the position with Aaron Judge on the DL and Giancarlo Stanton nursing a hamstring problem that limited him to DH duty.
However, McCutchen has one hit in 13 at-bats (.077) in four games since being acquired from the Giants. He will likely get a chance to improve Friday night when the Mariners start lefty James Paxton.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre right-hander Michael King and Single-A Tampa outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams have been named minor league baseball players of the month for August by Minor League Baseball.
King, 23, went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in five starts for the RailRiders. Thompson-Williams, 23, hit .333 and led the Florida State League with a OPS of 1.121.
Sabathia, wife Amber and the PitCCh foundation spent Thursday’s off day at the Sabathias’ alma mater, Vallejo (Calif.) High School, where 1,700 students received backpacks at a pep rally and took part in a career panel discussion.
“It was a lot of fun. I have done a lot of this before, but this was the first time with high-school age kids,’’ Sabathia said by phone after the event ended. “And being it was my hometown, I saw teachers I had in high school. It was cool.’’