The New York Yankees visit the Athletics on Friday night in West Sacramento, California, as both teams look to build momentum in the middle of the season. The Yankees enter at 34-22 and second place in the AL East, while the Athletics are 27-29 and sit second in the AL West. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. EDT.
New York sends left-hander Carlos Rodon to the mound. Rodon is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP and 17 strikeouts. The Athletics will counter with right-hander Luis Severino, who is 2-5 with a 4.23 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP and 64 strikeouts.
The Yankees are listed as slight favorites at -153, while the Athletics are +127. The over/under for the game is set at 10 runs.
The Athletics are trying to snap a five-game home losing streak. Oakland has gone 10-15 at home and is 27-29 overall. One bright spot for the club has been its offense, as the Athletics rank second in the American League with a .246 team batting average.
The Yankees have been strong on the road this season, going 17-13 away from home. Overall, New York has built its success around power hitting, ranking second in the majors with a .437 team slugging percentage. Friday’s matchup is the fourth meeting between the two teams this season.
Shea Langeliers has been one of the Athletics’ most productive hitters, leading the team with a .298 batting average. He also has 12 doubles, 13 home runs, 20 walks and 28 RBIs. Nick Kurtz has also contributed recently, going 11 for 37 with eight RBIs over the past 10 games.
For the Yankees, Ben Rice leads the way with a .290 batting average, along with 11 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 27 walks and 37 RBIs. Jazz Chisholm has also been hot lately, batting 14 for 38 over his last 10 games with two home runs and four RBIs.
Over their last 10 games, the Athletics are 4-6 with a .226 batting average and a 4.55 ERA, and they have been outscored by 12 runs. New York has gone 6-4 in that span, hitting .267 with a 2.70 ERA and outscoring opponents by 20 runs.
Both teams are dealing with injuries. The Athletics are without Denzel Clarke, Aaron Civale, Gunnar Hoglund, Max Muncy, Brooks Kriske and Jacob Wilson. The Yankees have several players sidelined as well, including Jasson Dominguez, Giancarlo Stanton, Max Fried, Angel Chivilli and Clarke Schmidt.
The game features two clubs with playoff aspirations trying to steady their form, with the Yankees looking to continue their winning edge and the Athletics hoping home field can finally turn their recent struggles around.
