After returning to their winning ways with a sweep of the White Sox in Chicago the New York Yankees head back to the Bronx for a season-long 11-game homestand, which starts tonight with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers.
The Yankees, who are 9-9 after the All-Star break and 5-5 in their last 10 games, will try to continue their winning streak against the visiting Rangers.
The Rangers are perhaps visiting the Bronx at the right time as they are playing better as of late after struggling at the start of the second half when they lost six of their first seven games.
The Rangers visit Yankee Stadium after winning two of three against the Seattle Mariners in Arlington. Texas has now won five of its last seven games and is 9-3 in their last 12 games.
To accomplish that the Rangers will have to deal with the dazzling play of Aaron Hicks, who in his last 13 games is batting .302 and has drawn at least one walk in 13 of his last 16 games.
In Game 1 J.A Happ (11-5, 4.06 ERA) returns from the disabled list to take on Ariel Jurado (2-1, 4.01 ERA).
This will be Happ’s second start with the Yankees following his solid debut on July 29 against the Kansas City Royals. That day he earned the win as he pitched six innings while allowing three hits, one walk, and one run.
On Friday night Masahiro Tanaka (9-2, 3.76 ERA) gets the starting nod opposite Rangers left-hander Mike Minor (8-6, 4.53 ERA). Since July 4 Minor has allowed 15 earned runs and struck out 28 batters across 31.2 innings.
Tanaka carries a career-best unbeaten streak of 14 starts into the matchup. Over that span, dating back to April 23, the Yankees hurler is 7-0 with a 3.12 ERA. In his last 103 innings, Tanaka has 109 Ks and a 1.07 WHIP.
In Game 3 Lance Lynn (8-8, 4.58) takes the ball against Drew Hutchinson (1-2, 6.29 ERA). On August 6, in his first start as a Yankee Lynn cemented himself in the rotation by tossing 7.1 scoreless innings. In that game in Chicago, he also allowed just two hits and struck out a season-high nine White Sox batters.
The series finale on Sunday features a duel of left-handers as CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.49 ERA) takes the mound opposite Venezuelan Martin Perez (2-4, 6.15 ERA).
In 11 starts this season at Yankee Stadium, the veteran hurler has a 4-1 record and a 2.69 ERA. On Tuesday Sabathia struck out a season-high 12 hitters and walked three in a no-decision against the White Sox.
