Pitching Matchups: CC Sabathia and his 10 and 3 record starts for the Yankees as he tries to get back on track after getting roughed up against Boston on July 28th. This is CC's second start since coming back from the disabled list. He has posted a 3.57 earned run average this season. His career numbers verse the Mariners are exceptional, however. Sabathia has won his last seven starts against Seattle. His opposition tonight is right hander Kevin Millwood who has posted solid numbers, not including his record. He is 4 and 8 with a sub-four earned run average and is coming off a month in which he posted three runs or fewer, and at least six innings in four of five starts. He will be facing a very strong lineup in which the numbers are not in his favor. Six Yankees have regular season averages of over .350 against Millwood. This should be a solid matchup.
Game two starters consist of Hiroki Kuroda going for the Yanks against King Felix Hernandez. Kuroda is 10 and 7 this season with a 3.28 ERA. His last start verse Boston was masterful, giving up two runs in eight innings of work but taking the loss in a 3-2 pitchers duel. King Felix is 9 and 5 with a 2.79 ERA on the year. He has won his last four decisions, one of them coming against these Yankees. Against New York, he gave up two runs in seven and a third innings of work in the victory. Felix, a power pitcher, is a difficult assignment for the Yankees. Kuroda will certainly have to be on his A-game if the Yankees want to come away with a victory.
The rubber match starters consist of Freddy Garcia for New York and Hisashi Iwakuma for Seattle. Garcia is 4 and 5 with a 5.10 ERA on the year, losing his last three starts. Iwakuma is 2 and 2 with a 4.10 ERA as he tries to revenge a loss to the Yankees from July 25th.
Players to Watch: Ichiro Suzuki will be facing his old team for the first time in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium. He is 32 for 81 with seven extra-base hits against former teammate Kevin Millwood. He will try to help the Yankees beat his scrappy old team. Miguel Montero will also be making another return to the Bronx to face his former team. Montero is batting .260 with 10 home runs on the year. However, Montero has been killing left handed pitching of late so CC Sabathia will have to be very careful against this young catcher.
Be Very Careful: The New York Yankees cannot take this Seattle team lightly. Though Seattle is only 50 and 57 on the year, they have won seven in a row and are a threat to spoil teams plans for the postseason. They at times struggle to score runs but their pitching has been solid enough lately for them to win games. This will be a tough series for the Yankees especially going up against Felix Hernandez.
The Yankees are looking to get healthy with key contributors Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Andy Pettitte, and Brett Gardner all sidelined with injuries. However, Mark Teixeira is making his return to the lineup tonight after missing a couple games with a wrist injury. He will be batting fourth against Millwood tonight. Good news for the Yankees that his injury was not too serious. Nevertheless, The Yankees are in a great position to win the division but from this point on, no game will be easy, and no team should be taken lightly.
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