Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 3.81 ERA) and the New York Yankees (17-11) go up against Chris Tillman (2-3, 6.23 ERA) and the Baltimore Orioles (12-13) in the first of a four-game division series at Yankee Stadium. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 7 and will air on MASN and YES.
In his most recent outing, Eovaldi pitched 6.2 innings, giving up two runs, striking out two and walking one in a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox. Brett Gardner (.309, 18 Rs, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs, 8 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. In his career against the Yankees, Tillman is 5-5 with a 4.96 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 56 strikeouts. Jimmy Paredes (.333, 12 Rs, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 5 yesterday with one RBI.
New York, a -123 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Baltimore. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at eight runs. The Yankees have a winning record of 8-5 when playing as the favorite and an overall money line of +711. They have performed well against their division to earn an SU record of 12-8 and a 6-4 record when they were the favorite. The Yankees rank fourth in the majors in extra base hits with 93. They have been very patient at the plate, ranking second in the AL with an average of 3.6 walks per game. Turning to the pitching staff, the Yankees are fifth in the AL in walks allowed at home with just 2.8 per game. An area where the Yankees are particularly strong is striking batters out, where they average 8.9 K’s per game.
Switching gears, the Orioles come into this game in an interesting position. They have won more than 60 percent of games played as the underdog (4-7) but have a negative money line (+21). They have played poorly as the underdog as of late. They managed a 1-3 record when playing as the underdog and an SU record of 5-5.
In their previous three games this season, the Orioles have a 2-1 record. The Yankees will take on a right-hander (Tillman) in this game. They have excelled against right-handed starting pitchers this season, going 12-7. The right-handed Eovaldi will take the mound against the Orioles, who have a 10-10 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Orioles play into extra innings, they have a 1-0 record. The Yankees are 0-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Orioles are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Yankees have a 4-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Orioles are 11-4. The Yankees have an 11-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 10th in runs, Baltimore has earned 123 this season. New York ranks fifth with 132 runs.
Ranking 25th, Baltimore is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 63 this season. New York ranks in the top five at second with 101.
When the Yankees hit at least one home run, they are 13-8. When the Orioles hit at least one homer, they have an 11-8 record.