Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 21:29:29 GMT -5
[shadow=red,left,300]New York Yankees (37-32) @ Colorado Rockies (30-40)[/shadow]
NYA: Shaeffer Hall (2-1, 3.04 ERA)
COL: Brandon Webb (8-2, 3.02 ERA)
One is a rejuvenated heavyweight. The other is a fading one. Such is the story of this season's Yankees and Rockies.
While the Yankees have struggled in June against some top flight competition, 19 of their next 22 games come against sub-500 teams.
To take advantage of the schedule, they'll need more consistent performances from pitchers like Schaeffer Hall. Hall was fantastic as a lefty out of the bullpen, but he's been hit or miss as a starter.
His last start was a hit, allowing just a single run in 8.1 innings in a 2-1 loss to the Mets. The key, apparently, is Hall's slider. When it's on, it breaks down in the zone leading to ground ball after ground ball. When it's flat, it gets turned into line drives.
The Yankees will also look to get Mark Teixera going. Teixera has had one home run since May 1 and needs to produce more to jump start the Yankees lineup.
For Colorado, injuries have ravaged the team's offense as Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, and Carlos Gonzalez will each miss at least six weeks of the season with injuries. They're joined on the DL by Ian Stewart who was just breaking out of a brutal slump when he strained his oblique.
Colorado's pitching has been shaky at times, but staff ace Brandon Webb hasn't been a part of that, working at least 7 innings and allowing three runs or less in his last five starts. Webb still gets fantastic mileage from a devastating sinker which bores down and in to righties and tails away from lefties. The result is a lot of ground balls up the middle.
Even if Webb pitches well, it's no guarantee Colorado will win. Their lineup is being stocked by career minor leaguers like Elliott Johnson, Kevin Rivers, Ryan Harvey, Orlando Sandoval, as well as defensive specialists like Ryan Spilborghs. Colorado has been awful this season with runners in scoring position, and is running out of time to make a stand.
This game could help determine whether the Yankees can make up ground to Boston and Tampa Bay in the AL East, and if the Rockies have a prayer at postseason baseball.
NYA: Shaeffer Hall (2-1, 3.04 ERA)
COL: Brandon Webb (8-2, 3.02 ERA)
One is a rejuvenated heavyweight. The other is a fading one. Such is the story of this season's Yankees and Rockies.
While the Yankees have struggled in June against some top flight competition, 19 of their next 22 games come against sub-500 teams.
To take advantage of the schedule, they'll need more consistent performances from pitchers like Schaeffer Hall. Hall was fantastic as a lefty out of the bullpen, but he's been hit or miss as a starter.
His last start was a hit, allowing just a single run in 8.1 innings in a 2-1 loss to the Mets. The key, apparently, is Hall's slider. When it's on, it breaks down in the zone leading to ground ball after ground ball. When it's flat, it gets turned into line drives.
The Yankees will also look to get Mark Teixera going. Teixera has had one home run since May 1 and needs to produce more to jump start the Yankees lineup.
For Colorado, injuries have ravaged the team's offense as Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, and Carlos Gonzalez will each miss at least six weeks of the season with injuries. They're joined on the DL by Ian Stewart who was just breaking out of a brutal slump when he strained his oblique.
Colorado's pitching has been shaky at times, but staff ace Brandon Webb hasn't been a part of that, working at least 7 innings and allowing three runs or less in his last five starts. Webb still gets fantastic mileage from a devastating sinker which bores down and in to righties and tails away from lefties. The result is a lot of ground balls up the middle.
Even if Webb pitches well, it's no guarantee Colorado will win. Their lineup is being stocked by career minor leaguers like Elliott Johnson, Kevin Rivers, Ryan Harvey, Orlando Sandoval, as well as defensive specialists like Ryan Spilborghs. Colorado has been awful this season with runners in scoring position, and is running out of time to make a stand.
This game could help determine whether the Yankees can make up ground to Boston and Tampa Bay in the AL East, and if the Rockies have a prayer at postseason baseball.