Detroit Tigers @ New York Yankees
New York Yankees -340
Games Total: 8.5
Game Play Predictions
Detroit Tigers
J.A. Happ has been practically perfect in every way since joining the Yankees, going 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA.
- Happ allowed two runs on five hits in six innings in his last start, Saturday against Baltimore.
- Happ has struggled against Detroit this season, allowing 11 runs on 15 hits in 10.2 innings across two starts.
- The Tigers are looking to snap a five-game losing streak during which they have hit .222 and scored 10 runs.
- Detroit has scored three runs or fewer in 14 of its last 24 games.
- Only the Marlins and Giants have a lower OBP in August than Detroit’s .297 mark.
- The Tigers have struggled on the road, with a league-worst .280 wOBA away from home.
- Detroit has a 7.2 percent walk rate on the road, ranking 23rd in MLB. Their 23.1 percent strikeout rate on the road is the 11th highest.
- The Tigers have been slightly better against lefties, with a .307 wOBA and 20.6 percent strikeout rate.
- That being said, Detroit’s 6.5 percent walk rate against lefties is the worst in baseball.
- The Tigers will be without shortstop José Iglesias , who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a lower abdominal strain.
- Mikie Mahtook is the only Tiger who is hitting right now, going 9-for-20 with three home runs during his current six-game hitting streak. Even so, he has eight strikeouts and zero walks over that span.
- On the other end of the spectrum, Victor Martínez is 2-for-16 over the last week. Victor Reyes is 1-for-17 and James McCann is 2-for-11 over the last seven days.
New York Yankees
The Yankees have the best walk rate in baseball against lefties at 10.6 percent. Their 22.8 percent strikeout rate against lefties ranks 12th.
- The Yankees have the third highest wOBA against lefties at .340.
- The Yankees are facing Francisco Liriano at a good time, though there isn’t really a bad time to face him. Liriano has a 4.82 ERA on the season and is 0-8 in his last 16 appearances dating back to April 28.
- Liriano is 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA in five career appearances at Yankee Stadium.
- Liriano’s 13.4 percent walk rate is the second worst among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched this season. Only Tyler Chatwood has been worse.
- Like Chatwood, Liriano hasn’t compensated for his lack of control with increased strikeouts. Liriano has a 17.9 percent strikeout rate this season, ranking 21st among pitchers with at least 100 innings.
- As if that wasn’t enough, Liriano has allowed 1.49 HR/9 this season, 17th highest in MLB.
- In case you were wondering, the Yankees still have the most home runs in baseball at 215, 39 ahead of the next closest team.
- For as good as the Yankees have been this season, they have just been average in August, with a .321 wOBA, 9.4 percent walk rate and 20.9 percent strikeout rate.
- The Yankees have the second highest home OPS in baseball, at .821. They trail only the Red Sox.
- Their 10.5 percent walk rate at home is the highest in baseball.
- Giancarlo Stanton is riding the struggle bus of late, going 2-for-26 over his last seven games.
- Stanton isn’t the only one. Greg Bird is 1-for-11 over the last seven days, and Ronald Torreyes is 3-for-18.
- On the other hand, Miguel Andujar is 11-for-30 with eight RBI over the last seven days. Luke Voit is 9-for-20 with three home runs and Gleyber Torres is 9-for-22 with two homers and two stolen bases over that span.