Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the White Sox in a four-game series starting on Thursday…
Preview
Can Anthony Volpe get a hit?
Volpe is in a major slump, worse than he's experienced in his short career so far.
Entering Thursday's series opener, Volpe is 1-for-37 with 14 strikeouts in his last 11 games. In the Yankees' 11-2 pounding of the Nationals on Wednesday, Volpe went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and was the only starter to not get a hit.
The Yankees tried to give Volpe a breather and reset with two games off earlier in the week, but at this point, the team is going to try and push through and see if Volpe gets out of his slump by playing.
On the other side of it, is the shortstop set up for another day off? Jose Caballero was the starting shortstop when Volpe was benched, so it'll be interesting to see how Aaron Boone writes up his lineups during this series.
How much will Giancarlo Stanton play?
As Aaron Judge continues to work his way back to playing in the outfield, Boone has to decide whether to play Stanton in right field in his captain's stead.
The Yankees need Stanton in the lineup as much as possible. Over his last 30 games, Stanton is slashing .362/.429/.819 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI. Over his last seven games, Stanton launched five long balls and hit .421. Stanton played the outfield in two of the three games at Yankee Stadium against the Nationals, but the last time the Yankees were on the road (and not at George M. Steinbrenner Field), Stanton sat out all three games against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
Cam Schlittler, Will Warren trying out to be Game 3 starter
If the Yankees make the postseason, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon will pitch the first two games of any series they are in. But who will start Game 3?
Warren is set to start Thursday's series opener and will hope to bounce back from his rough outing against the Red Sox. In his four prior starts, Warren had allowed only four runs across 22.1 innings pitched. The 26-year-old is having a solid season for the Yanks. In 27 starts, he's pitched to a 4.47 ERA with 146 strikeouts across 131 innings pitched.
For the rookie Schlittler, he has the tougher matchup, going up against All-Star Shane Smith on Saturday. In only eight starts, the 24-year-old is pitching to a 2.76 ERA with 46 strikeouts across 42.1 innings pitched. But Schlittler has really started to blossom his last few times on the mound.
In his last two starts (Rays, Nationals), Schlittler has pitched 12.2 scoreless innings while allowing just five hits and striking out 16 batters. If Schlittler repeats that performance on the road against the White Sox, his name will be in serious consideration to pitch behind Fried and Rodon in October.
Is Aaron Judge back?
Judge is still trying to go on a tear like he did pre-injury, but Wednesday's performance may be the start of it. Against the Nationals, Judge went 2-for-4 with a home run in the Yankees' win. It's been tough sledding for the reigning AL MVP. Prior to the series finale against Washington, Judge was 2-for-17 in his previous five games. A series against the lowly White Sox could be what he needs to go on a run.
Taking care of business
The Yankees are one of the best teams in MLB against under-.500 teams and the White Sox come into the four-game set with the second-worst record in baseball.
Like how they did sweeping the Nationals this week, the Yankees need to take care of business and win the series in Chicago. It's hard to sweep a four-game set no matter who you're facing, but the Yankees should take three games from the White Sox. Doing so will continue to solidify their spot in the postseason and perhaps even help them bridge the gap with the Blue Jays and Red Sox.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Aaron Judge
Judge seemed very comfortable at the plate on Wednesday and should be the start of a great run for him.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Carlos Rodon
Rodon has been the most consistent pitcher for the Yankees and going up against the White Sox, his former team, will continue that streak.
Which White Sox player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Colson Montgomery
The rookie shortstop is dealing with a left side injury that sidelined him on Wednesday, but his MRI came back clean, so he should be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
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