Game 60: Yankees @ Royals

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals for four games in a battle of under performing teams.  The Royals are two games under .500 while the Yankees are only one game over.  Before the season started, both the Royals and Yankees projected to compete for a playoff spot.  Through one third of the season, both teams will need to do some work to get there.

Tonight Chase Whitley will continue his search for his first career win as he takes the mound for the Yankees.  He has pitched effectively to the tune of a 2.37 ERA but has yet to record a decision,  mainly because of his inability to pitch late into ball games.  He has yet to pitch more than five innings.  The Yankees hope that he can build on his last few starts and continue to increase his workload, giving the bullpen some much deserved rest.  Opposing Whitley will be 35-year-old right-hander Jeremy Guthrie.  Guthrie comes into the game with a 2-5 record and 4.00 ERA.  He continues to be a strike thrower and an innings eater for the Royals, getting by on guile throwing every pitch under the sun.

The Yankees are coming off one of the most frustrating home-stands in recent memory.  They went 2-5 on the home-stand and were outscored 37-16.  On the season they have scored 39 fewer runs than their opponents at home.  They now have a losing record at Yankee Stadium.  Thankfully they are performing better on the road, scoring eleven more runs than the opposing team.

A few items to look for in today’s game:

• Rotation Rolling: Yankees starters have a 2.93 ERA (126.0IP, 41ER) since 5/14, marking the best such mark in the Majors over the stretch.
• Streaking Ellsbury: Jacoby Ellsbury is riding a ten game hitting streak which is one shy of Derek Jeter’s  11G team-season-high hitting streak.  Over the span  is batting .410 (16-for-39) with 5R, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB, 7 SB and a .477 OBP.  He still has a way to go to reach Joe DiMaggio‘s all time mark of 56 straight games with a hit.
• Power Outage:  Both the Yankees and Royals have had trouble hitting the ball out of the ballpark.  The Royals are last in the majors in long balls having hit only 26 home runs all season, lead by Alex Gordon‘s six.  The Yankees have left the yard nearly twice as often with 51 dingers good for 18th in the majors.