Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Nationals in a three-game series starting Friday…
Ending first half on a high note
Wednesday’s win over the Rays was huge — not only did it prevent Tampa from clinching the tiebreaker for the AL East crown, the Yankees offense finally woke up from its slumber, scoring 12 runs.
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They’ll need to keep that momentum going this weekend so they can end the unofficial first half of the season on a good note. Winning the series against an up-and-coming Nationals team will go a long way to alleviating the pain the Yankees were in when they went 5-15 the last few weeks.
It won’t be easy, but going into the All-Star break with a few wins over the weekend would go a long way.
Schlittler or no Schlittler in Philly?
Cam Schlittler is scheduled to make one more start (Saturday) before his first All-Star Game.
Of course, the regular season is more important than the Midsummer Classic, but the Yankees and Schlittler have been pretty mum about how they plan to approach this weekend and whether he’ll pitch at all on Tuesday. If Schlittler mows down his opponent and is pitch-efficient, there’s a good chance he’ll toe the rubber in Philadelphia.
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The Yanks may not wait until then to announce if Schlittler will pitch, but we can glean a lot from his start Saturday.
Oh, also, Schlittler returned to form with a masterful performance against the Rays earlier in the week, bouncing back from a subpar performance. Schlittler took any negative comments about his “downfall” personally, and he can stick it to those people again this weekend.
Weathers and Warren need bounce backs
The Yankees were so deep in their rotation with Ryan Weathers and Will Warren pulling their weight early on, but their last few times out have not given the team a shot.
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Weathers (3-7, 4.29 ERA) has allowed six earned runs in his last 5.2 innings pitched (two starts).
Warren (7-4, 4.15 ERA) has been so inconsistent and laid a complete egg, allowing six runs in four innings against the Rays on Tuesday.
Max Fried will return and there’s always the possibility the Yanks deal for another starter at the deadline, so both Weathers and Warren need to show they can contribute consistently unless their spots in the rotation will be taken.
Keeping the Nats down
The Nationals are having a solid season and are vying for a playoff spot in a competitive National League — and they are doing it on the back of their offense.
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Players like James Wood, CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile, and Luis Garcia Jr. have helped the Nationals become one of the best offenses in the majors. They are eighth in baseball in batting average (.251), tied with the Yankees for the most home runs (132), third in OPS (.760) and fourth in hits (809).
Yankees pitching will need to be careful with this lineup if they hope to come away with a series win.
Rice ready for the derby
Ben Rice has been one of the Yankees’ best hitters, even when Aaron Judge was in the lineup. He was rewarded with his first All-Star Game selection and he will participate in the Home Run Derby. The slugging first baseman has been on a tear of late, smashing five homers in his last seven games.
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He’s ready for the derby, but can he continue that power surge this weekend?
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Ben Rice
Rice has been on a tear and is likely to continue that.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Schlittler will look to cement himself as the best AL pitcher before the All-Star break.
Which Nationals player will be a thorn in the Yankees’ side?
James Wood
The outfielder is having a tremendous year, hitting .269 with 25 homers and 61 RBI as the Nats leadoff hitter.
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