Game 117 Preview: Yankees vs Indians

Jul 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Yankees catcher

(29) hits during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Keys to Victory

If the Yankees want to take two out of three from the Indians and begin their road trip on a high note, one thing they will have to do in today’s game is score runs. Kuroda throughout the season has put on some spectacular performances, but has lost some games because he lacks run support. With the select Yankees who have put up great numbers against Carrasco in their careers, they need to score early and maybe even play some small ball.

Kuroda needs to keep the ball down. If not, he will run into some jams early in the game, something that has happened often. He needs to make certain pitches that will keep the hitters off balanced, especially if there are runners on bases that are threatening to score.

Lastly, the bullpen needs to relieve Kuroda successfully. Kuroda has had quite a few games this year where the score is close, and often it winds up being a no-decision because of the bullpen. Whoever comes into the game, whether it is Dellin Betances” href=”http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/betande01.shtml”>Dellin Betances or David Huff” href=”http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huffda01.shtml”>David Huff, they need to make quality pitches so Kuroda can finally pick up a victory.