A-Rod returns for slumping Yankees on Friday
Can Alex Rodriguez pitch?
The New York Yankees have lost five consecutive games, and their pitching staff is one of the worst in baseball. Rodriguez won’t help that part of the team, but the Yankee lineup will get a huge boost when A-Rod makes his season debut Friday at Baltimore.
New York is a -159 money line favorite on WagerWeb.com tonight (over/under of 9.5 runs) as its highest-paid pitcher, CC Sabathia, takes the hill.
With Sabathia on the mound, and assuming all the normal starters play, that means the Yankees will have four guys on the infield tonight with contracts in excess of $100 million: Rodriguez, Sabathia, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixiera.
Rodriguez had surgery March 9 to repair torn cartilage in his right hip, and has recovered more quickly than expected. The Yankees had initially set a target date for his return of May 15.
“He feels he’s ready and we think it’s great,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s great to have your No. 4 hitter come back. In a sense it’s like we made a huge trade. We didn’t have him the first five weeks so we’re all very excited.”
Girardi said he expects Rodriguez eventually to provide the same high-level of production he has throughout his career.
“Does he get four hits the first day?” Girardi said. “You don’t know. But Alex is going to put up Alex type numbers in the time he’s here.”
Tonight will also be his first real game since he admitted to using steroids, so the reception in Baltimore will be fun to watch.
The Yanks, meanwhile, just need a win as they have lost five in a row for the first time since May 2007. They were just swept by Boston and Tampa Bay – both in Yankee Stadium!
Sabathia is just 1-3 with a 4.85 ERA this season. He faced Baltimore in his first start of the season, pitching six innings and giving up three runs and seven hits in a 10-5 loss. The hefty lefty is 5-1 with a 3.01 ERA in 10 starts versus the Orioles all-time. In Sabathia’s most recent start, he allowed five runs to the Angels on May 2 in New York, surrendering eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Baltimore counters with right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (2-2, 5.05). He was the opposing pitcher in that Sabathia season-opening start. He gave up three run in six innings and got the win to improve to 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA in seven career games against the Yankees. Guthrie, though, is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA in his last four starts.
WagerWeb.com Key Trends
* Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Baltimore.
* Yankees are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in Guthries last 5 home starts vs. Yankees.
* Over is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings.
• Yankees are 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Baltimore.
MLB Betting at WagerWeb.com
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