Yankees Attempt to Revive 2016 Hopes with Sweep of Orioles
The New York Yankees will attempt to keep their hopes of contention afloat Thursday by going for a four game sweep of their AL East rival Baltimore Orioles.
At 48-46, the New York Yankees are more than one game over .500 for the first time since April 12, when they were 4-2 in the first week of the season. This four game winning streak is their best in more than a month, and only their third time winning that many games in a row this season.
The Yankees still face long odds if they want to make a postseason run, but they are getting shorter with each consecutive win. They are now six games out in the AL East and five out of the second Wild Card. Their FanGraphs playoff odds have reached double-digits for the first time since the end of June.
If the Yankees keep winning, will it change the organization’s plans at the trade deadline? It will probably prevent the full-on fire sale that some have been expecting, but it still seems like the Yankees would be best served long term by at least dealing their expiring contracts like Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran. With the right young pieces in return, those trades could even improve the 2016 club.
CC Sabathia will take the hill against Baltimore’s ace Chris Tillman at 1:05 pm ET as the Yankees attempt to go for a four game sweep of their division rivals. Here’s the starting lineup for the Yankees:
- Brett Gardner LF
- Jacoby Ellsbury CF
- Carlos Beltran RF
- Brian McCann C
- Mark Teixeira 1B
- Didi Gregorius SS
- Alex Rodriguez DH
- Starlin Castro 2B
- Ronald Torreyes 3B
Notes:
- Chad Green was called up from Triple-A to provide the Yankees with additional bullpen depth Thursday. He was scheduled to start for the Railriders Tuesday, but manager Joe Girardi said he plans to use him as a reliever rather than a spot starter.
- Alex Rodriguez is getting a rare start against a right handed starter, but it is telling that he’s been dropped all the way to seventh in the order.
- Girardi tells Chad Jennings of The Journal News that Dellin Betances is not available for Thursday’s game, reasoning, “I used him three out of four and it’s a short turnaround, so I don’t plan on using him today.”
- Chase Headley will be out of the starting lineup for the second straight game because of an excused personal absence.