Yanks Go Yard
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Yankees look for a f-run f-run night at Wrigley facing Lester

By Steve Contursi

Aaron Hicks Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Hicks Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Yankees won’t look at this way, but if they lose tonight and head to Cincinnati having taken two of three from the Cubs on their home turf, that’s a pretty good weekend. Which makes tonight’s game all that more fun as we get to watch them run, run, run.

The Yankees close out their series with the Cubs in a nationally televised ESPN game facing one of the best lefties in the big leagues, Jon Lester. Teamed with Jake Arrieta, he’s half of the duo that provides the Cubs with that sought after one-two punch they hope will lead them to another World Series appearance in 2017.

For all that Lester is, however, there’s one facet of his game that he has yet to master. In fact, he’s so bad with this skill that he’s all but given up even trying to get better. He cannot make the toss from the stretch position thirty feet to first base to hold a runner close. Go figure.

Razzball.com keeps track of these things, and they note that runners have a 75% success rate in stolen bases when Lester is on the mound. This is not a big secret in baseball, and most teams kick their running game up a notch when facing Lester because of this stat.

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But what’s odd is that when I looked a little closer, Arietta has a worse record with a success rate of 84% against him than Lester. And yet, he receives none of the attention for this lapse Lester gets. I guess it could be that Arrieta makes his throws to first base at least, but he just do it very well is all.

In any event, one of the things the Yankees have uncovered in their offense this season if their running game. Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, and Chase Headley have combined to give the Yankees a whole new dimension to their offense with 16 stolen bases between them.

Not one of them is bound to be in Rickey Henderson or Lou Brock territory by season’s end, but no one cares about that. It’s the fact that the Yankees are running at all that matters. If only, because it gives the other team just one more thing to think about when they face us. We usually don’t make a habit out of running, but we can run, and when we choose to run we can be successful with it.

Add that to the threat of the home run up and down the lineup, and you have the ability to really drive an opponent nuts. Which, of course, is exactly what the Yankees have been doing.

But the thing about a running game, of course, is that it does you no good if you can’t get men on base. And with his impeccable control, combined with a stinginess in making bad pitches, Lester has been able to compensate for his flaw by simply being one of the best in the game in denying access to first base.

Nevertheless, the Yankees have a chance to run the table in Chicago, and they’ll be using all of their weapons to make it happen, And that’s why it’s going to be a f-run f-run night and a good game to watch.

Luis Severino gets the call to make the start for the Yankees. Severino shows only a 2-2 record so far, but his effectiveness is hidden in his stats. He’s giving up less than a hit per inning pitched while striking out more than one batter per inning. Plus, he’s given up only six bases on balls in more than 30 innings of work.

In his last start, Severino allowed two home runs and a season-high five runs in 5 2/3 innings during a 7-1 loss against the Toronto on Monday. Joe Girardi commented on Severino’s start, telling ESPN:

"“I thought he was just a little off, He was behind in some counts. It looked like he was just missing.”"

Following the game tonight, the Yankees move on to Cincinnati to face the Reds for two games, and then they return home to meet the AL West division leading Houston Astros for four games at the Stadium, one of which will be Derek Jeter Night next Sunday.

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