Series Preview: Pirates @ Yankees

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees are coming back home after finishing out the Subway Series in Queens. They play three against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Stadium and hope they could get it going as they have been very sluggish of late.

                                         Probable Pitching Match-ups

        Pirates                                             @                                       Yankees

Edinson Volquez             Friday, May 16th:  7:05 pm              David Phelps

  Charlie Morton              Sunday, May 18th: 1:05 pm             Hiroki Kuroda

      Gerrit Cole                  Sunday, May 18th: 4:35 pm               Vidal Nuno

Who’s Hot?: Jordy Mercer and Neil Walker are red hot. Mercer is hitting well over .400 with a homer over the last week while Walker is hitting over .300 with two bombs and five RBI. On the Yankees’ side of things, Yangervis Solarte and Brett Gardner are the ones on fire. Solarte is hitting nearly .500 in the past six games and has been a solid bat all year. Gardner’s average is hovering around .350 over the span.

Who’s Not? Andrew McCutchen  and Starling Marte are two Pirates who have seen better days. The Pirates’ center fielder is hitting under .250 with just one RBI. Marte, in limited playing time over the last seven days, is hitting just barely over .100 with no homers and a couple of RBI.                                      

                                                  *What To Watch For*

David Phelps will start the first one in the Bronx. He has no history whatsoever against the Pirates. To be exact, there is actually one Pirate who has had an at-bat against Phelps. It was Ike Davis who is 1-for-1 against the righty. That is the only batter on Pittsburgh he has faced.

The struggling Hiroki Kuroda gets the nod in the second game. There aren’t many good numbers against the Japanese pitcher among Pirate hitters. Gaby Sanchez, Clint Barmes, Davis, and McCutchen have combined to go 9-for-39 (.231) with one home run and two RBI. Kuroda should pitch smoothly in that one.

The final start will be given to Vidal Nuno. Nuno has never faced the Pirates but is coming off an awful start against the Mets, a team not exactly known for hitting. He should be one to watch.