Masahiro Tanaka (4-2, 2.49 ERA) and the New York Yankees (38-30) go up against Kyle Ryan (1-1, 3.26 ERA) and the Detroit Tigers (34-34) in the last of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won the last game 14-3 and New York leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 21 and will air on FSN-DET and YES.
In his most recent outing, Tanaka pitched 7.0 innings, giving up two runs and striking out six in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins. Alex Rodriguez (.283, 40 Rs, 14 HRs, 40 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 3 with two runs, one home run, and five RBIs. The Tigers were unsuccessful to the Reds 5-2 the last time Ryan pitched. He went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs, striking out four and walking one. Yoenis Cespedes (.302, 37 Rs, 9 HRs, 35 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday.
New York is a -158 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Yankees have a winning record of 21-14 when playing as the favorite and an overall money line of +374. The Yankees rank fourth in the majors in extra base hits with 217. Transitioning to the pitching staff, they have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out at Yankee Stadium, leading the AL with 9.0 strikeouts per home game.
Moving on to the away team, the Tigers come into this game with a win percentage of .444 when playing as the underdog (12-15) and an overall money line of -216. Detroit is one of the top hitting teams in the AL with an average of 9.3 hits per contest. The Tigers have racked up 52 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league.
The Yankees have gotten the best of the Tigers in head-to-head matchups this season, going 5-1. This game will feature Ryan (RHP) on the mound against the Yankees, who have a 28-23 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Tanaka will take the mound against the Tigers, who have a 24-27 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY, O/U – Over
Notes
New York has won 47% (17-19) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Detroit has won 53% (16-14) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Yankees are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Tigers have a 6-10 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
It looks like the Yankees have a slight leg up on the Tigers, as the Yankees have won their last four games while the Tigers have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 30-8. The Yankees have a 26-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 15th in runs, Detroit has earned 281 this season. New York ranks second with 322 runs.
Ranking 15th, Detroit is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 203 this season. New York ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 219.
When the Yankees hit at least one home run, they are 32-17, well-matched with the Tigers who are 24-11 when hitting one or more homers.
