Bombs Away: Mariners at Yankees Series Preview
The Mariners travel to the Bronx to face the best team in the American League.
“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity,” wrote angsty Baltimore boy Edgar Allen Poe after watching the Mariners strike out 26 times over the course of a three-game disappointment of a series in Charm City. Fortunately, there’s no time to dwell on the past as they’ve trundled (Do you think they flew? That feels like such a silly use of resources…) up to New York for four games against the Yankees.
When they talk about generational trauma, they’re talking about the sick, slithering dread that slinks through your body when you see the Seattle Mariners take the field in the Bronx, right? It doesn’t matter how good or bad the Yankees are that season, those pinstripes, short porches, and bare chins will always strike fear into my heart. This year, that fear is earned: the Yankees are the best team in the American League (and would be the best in baseball, were it not for the truly terrifying things happening in Philadelphia). They’re riding high after a sweep of the White Sox and are in the midst of a seven-game win streak. Gerrit Cole who? (He threw a bullpen this weekend and by all accounts his recovery is on track.)
It’s the best offense in the league. I mean, just look at it. It’s obscene. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto on the same team? Appalling. They’re particularly powerful against lefties, so Gabe Speier, gird your loins. We’re leaving it at that, I don’t want to dwell on this anymore. I’m feeling a little nauseous.
Probable Pitchers
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Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Big league veteran Marcus Stroman has struggled with command this season, accruing a 11.8% walk rate that’s caused him to struggle to work late into games. His velocity is down across the board, with particularly noticeable drops for his splitter and slurve. This year, he’s throwing his cutter a good bit more and all but tabled his four-seamer at this point. He’s still running an elite groundball rate which is one major reason why his ERA out paces his FIP by more than run.
While I am loath to hand it to a man who goes by Clarke, it’s important to give credit where credit is due and damn if that curve doesn’t deserve it. Schmidt pairs it with a flourishing cutter (introduced last season to combat extreme splits against lefties), solid sinker and a “Baby Whirly” (that’s another strike against you, Clark-with-an-e) aka a sweeper with nominal sweep. It’s basically all bendy stuff all the time, with some of the consistency struggles that come with playing that type of game.
With Cole sidelined, Nestor Cortes Jr. took sole possession of the ace mantel for the Yankees starting rotation at the beginning of the year, and he’s earned it with a 2.69 xERA and just a 4.9% walk rate. Cortes leans heavily on his four-seamer, coupled with a cutter and sweeper. While he’s still not throwing his changeup very often, when he does it’s devastating this season with a 45.9% swing-and-miss rate bested only by his slider.
It’s spicy to say that a Thursday 9:35 a.m. start is appointment viewing, but you should really consider clearing your Thursday morning for a Battle of Luises. Coming off of Tommy John, Luis Gil’s emergence has allowed the Yankees to weather the absence of Gerrit Cole far better than anyone thought they could. This will be Gil’s first start after setting the franchise record for rookie strikeouts, cutting down 14 in six innings against the hapless White Sox. It was a huge outing, particularly for a pitcher who struggled to throw strikes in previous years and many believed was destined for relief work. Gil (it’s pronounced “heel”), has an upper 90s fastball with an elite spin rate that makes it look like the ball is rising, and has been leaning heavily on a new changeup for his secondary pitch, though the slider is more consistently good.
The Big Picture:
Seattle is still clinging to first in the division, one and a half games ahead of the Rangers, though the surging Astros are putting the pressure on. The A’s have dropped nine of 10 and are duking it out in the cellar with the Angels. Expect more shuffling in the coming week, as there are lots of inter-divisional shenanigans on the horizon.