Curtis Granderson has 12 homers this season for the Yanks after hitting 30 last season for the Tigers.
The
New York Yankees hope to get their suddenly sputtering offense some much needed punch Wednesday night when they host the
Detroit Tigers in the third game of this four-game series. However, that offense, which leads the majors with 624 runs, might be missing a key piece of the puzzle.
Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher left the Yankees' lineup with nagging injuries during Monday's 3-1 loss to the Tigers. The combined four runs dipped below the nine-run closing total, which enabled the ‘under' to improve to 8-0 in the last eight series meetings.
Rodriguez came out after four innings because of tightness in his left calf and also missed New York's 6-2 victory in Tuesday's contest. Swisher exited with tightness in his right forearm Monday, but played Tuesday and knocked in two runs with a bases loaded single. Rodriguez is day to day. Detroit second baseman Carlos Guillen missed Tuesday's game with a knee injury and is also listed as day to day.
The split in the first two series meetings left the Yankees 2-4 in the first six matchups against the Tigers this season. Tuesday's contest featured a stellar pitching matchup between Detroit ace Justin Verlander and New York's C.C. Sabathia, with Sabathia raising his record to 16-5.
New York managed just six hits against Detroit starter Max Scherzer and a trio of relievers in Monday's loss, but collected six runs on nine hits in Tuesday's victory. It was New York's third win in its last nine games and left the club in a tie for first with Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Monday's 3-1 loss occurred one day after the Yanks had been blanked 1-0 by the Kansas City Royals. The Yanks had not suffered back-to-back shutout losses since May 1999
Wednesday's pitching matchup does not feature a pair of aces. In fact, if we were using a poker analogy, this would probably not even be a pair of picture cards.
Though the Yankees might not have their entire offense healthy, they still should be excited to face Detroit's Jeremy Bonderman and his 5.16 ERA.
The Bronx Bombers bested Bonderman 8-0 as 170 home underdogs in his lone start against them this season on May 12. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings spanning 99 pitches, while walking one and fanning seven.
Bonderman is off last Friday's 8-4 loss against the Chicago White Sox as a 135 road underdog. He was tagged for six runs on seven hits (one homer) through six innings spanning 91 pitches. Bonderman has now yielded at least one round-tripper in 12 of his last 13 starting assignments.
The Tigers are 11-10 in Bonderman's first 21 starts, with the ‘over' going 11-9-1.
The Yanks will counter with Dustin Moseley (2-2, 4.41 ERA, who will be making just his fifth start of the season. The 28-year-old right-hander was called up to the big club on July 3 and pitched out of the bullpen in his first four appearances.
Moseley is off Friday's 4-3 loss against Kansas City as a 180 road favorite. The Texas native allowed all four of the Royals' runs on eight hits through just 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned one and tossed a season-high 90 pitches.
Though the Yanks and Tigers played earlier this season at Comerica Park, Detroit's Johnny Damon and New York's Curtis Granderson were not in the lineup for their new teams. Such was not the case in Monday's opener, as both players started against their former teams.
Both players are not having the same kind of year with their new team as they had last season. Granderson blasted 30 home runs and collected 71 RBI in 160 games for the Tigers last year, but has just 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 94 games for the Yanks.
Damon swatted 24 round-trippers with 82 RBI in 143 games for the Yanks last season, but has just seven homers and 39 RBI in 106 games for the Tigers.
The Yanks are 38-21 through their first 59 home dates, while the Tigers are a dismal 20-37 through their first 57 road encounters.
Eric Cooper is expected to be behind home plate for Wednesday's contest, which could be good news for the Yankees. The home team is 16-11 when Cooper dons the mask, with the ‘over' going 13-12. There has been an average of 8.81 runs per game with Cooper behind the dish.