It’s tough to beat the rush of the last two games, but a win today would be enough excitement in itself. The Yankees are looking to take the third of this four-game set, giving them a third-straight series victory. It seems the team has responded to a recent bout of ugliness with a winning streak of sorts, and there’s nothing better than a series win to keep that moving.
Taking the mound will be A.J. Burnett, who gave the Yanks length in his last appearance, though his performance wasn’t exactly what the team needed. He gave up five runs through 7.2 IP, though he didn’t give up the final two until the eighth. Seven innings, three runs would be just fine today, but with Cano out of the lineup and Swisher mired in a serious slump, they could use a good one out of A.J. to seal the series.
The Twins will send out 25-year-old Kevin Slowey to stanch the bleeding. His holds a 5-1 record, mainly because the Twins were able to overcome two outings in which he allowed five runs. He’s had three such appearances this year, the other resulting in a no-decision. He pitched well his last time out against Detroit, allowing just one run over six innings. Not your typical strikeout pitcher, Slowey compensates with impeccable control. He’s walked just four in 40.1 innings this year and allowed just 1.35 per nine innings in 2008. The Yanks might not be able to wait him out as they do many other pitchers.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Nick Swisher, RF
7. Melky Cabrera, CF
8. Ramiro Pena, 2B
9. Kevin Cash, C
And on the mound, number thirty-four, A.J. Burnett