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The Padres start a 3 game set against the New York Yankees this afternoon. The team is playing good ball, sitting at 28-25.
The Yankees are 34-18 and in 1st place. They’re in the Top 5 in runs per game, as well as #7 in runs allowed. This will be a big time test for the boys.
Pitching match ups
Chad Green 0-2 12.15 ERA vs. Matt Strahm 2-3 3.06 ERA
Masahiro Tanaka 3-3 2.94 ERA vs. Eric Lauer 3-4 4.73 ERA
TBD vs. Chris Paddack 4-2 1.93 ERA
Hitters to watch
Manny Machado .276 career hitter vs the Yankees. His 22 HR against them are the most vs any other team he’s faced.
Eric Hosmer 10/27 2 HR 6 RBI .393 OBP .370 BA last 7 games
Gleyber Torres 7/26 5 HR 8 RBI .367 OBP .269 BA last 7 games
Dj LeMahieu 11/31 2 HR 6 RBI .412 OBP .355 BA last 7 games
Matt Strahm vs. Chad Green
This match up is a clear edge for the Padres. Matt Strahm has pitched extremely well all year, while Green will be an opener of a bulllen game for the Yankees. Good opportunity to take game 1.
Eric Lauer vs. Masahiro Tanaka
This could end up being a pitchers duel depending on which Eric Lauer we get. One thing is certain... Tanaka is tough. He had 2 bad outings in April, otherwise he’s been lights out. Lauer is capable of matching him, but the Yankees have the edge going in.
Chris Paddack vs. TBD
It doesn’t matter who Chris Paddack faces, he’ll have the edge. He was scratched from his Sunday start due to a stiff neck. As long as he’s healthy, he’s top 5 in every pitching category. Whoever he faces has to know he won’t get much run support. He’s already a clear Ace.
The Padres were clearly a better team than the Blue Jays. They took 2 out of 3 and had a chance at sweeping them. This series is more complicated. The pitching match ups do seem to work in the Padres favor. However, it’s still the Yankees. They’ve dealt with injuries and still managed to be a top 10 team in all major statistical categories. Make no mistake, it’s going to be a grind. If the boys can win 2 out of 3, it would be a major moral victory.