First, the sad stat: the Yankees are only hitting .191/.305/.348 as a team through the first three games of the season. Now, the sadder stat: the Yankees have a collective 100 OPS+ as a team through the first three games of the season. Pitching has dominated so far this year. Teams are averaging just 3.50 runs per game, down from 4.07 last year, and there have been 13 shutouts in 46 total games. It ain’t only the Yankees, folks.
Earlier this week I said I thought Alex Rodriguez would be “hitting in the middle third of the order by May 1st,” and it turns out I overestimated by three weeks. A-Rod is batting third tonight — Carlos Beltran’s on the bench — and I’m fairly certain it’s because the Red Sox are starting the lefty Wade Miley. I expect Alex to hit sixth or seventh or whatever next time the Yankees face a righty. For now, it’s just like the good ol’ days with A-Rod hitting third. Memories! Here is Joe Girardi’s starting nine:
- CF Jacoby Ellsbury
- LF Brett Gardner
- DH Alex Rodriguez
- 1B Mark Teixeira
- C Brian McCann
- 3B Chase Headley
- RF Chris Young
- SS Stephen Drew
- 2B Gregorio Petit
RHP Nathan Eovaldi — oh by the way, it’s his first start in pinstripes
The Red Sox are in town to start this three-game weekend series. Here is their lineup.
The bitter cold of the last two nights has passed. The temperature will be closer to 60 degrees for first pitch tonight, and while that’s still not ideal baseball weather, it’s better than yesterday and the day before. It was brutal if you were sitting in the stands somewhere. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm ET and you can catch tonight’s game on WPIX locally and MLB Network nationally. The Yankees are back on WPIX for the first time since 1998. Now it’s really like the old days. Enjoy the game.
Injury Update: Jose Pirela (concussion) has resumed baseball activities and is taking swings. He’s not ready to return to game action just yet. “Hopefully it’s not too long,” said Girardi. [Chad Jennings]
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