Beltran-led Yanks look to extend Orioles’ misery
The injury-riddled, downtrodden Orioles want to get out of the Bronx as soon as possible. New York, of course, would rather not let that happen.
Joe Girardi’s troops try to put the finishing touches on a sweep of Buck Showalter’s bunch this afternoon, with a 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Yet, online sports book Bovada.lv seems resistant to such a notion, listing the hosts as a -106 underdog. Baltimore, on the other hand, represents a 1.5-run favorite. The over/under run total sits at 8.5.
Showalter himself has fallen prey to a stomach bug circulating through the Orioles’ clubhouse. Even if the skipper posts up in the dugout today, he may not be joined by several regulars. Manny Machado (.308/.366/.550) and Chris Davis (22 dingers in 326 at-bats) continue to suffer from the same virus, while Adam Jones (back spasms) and Matt Wieters (sore right foot) are battling ailments of a different nature.
Pardon the Yanks for feeling little compassion. They’ve gone 4-2 since the All-Star break, thanks in large part to the renaissance of Carlos Beltran. The 39-year-old right fielder ripped two more hits roughly 10 hours ago, giving him 97 through 89 contests. He also boasts 20 homers, 60 RBIs and a .555 slugging percentage.
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Beltran will shoot to boost those figures further against Baltimore’s ace. It won’t come easily, though, as STATSLLC notes that Chris Tillman’s record is 11 games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 9, 2013. Following a weekend triumph at Tampa Bay, the lefty holds a 6-0 mark vs. squads from the AL East.
We expect that figure to improve to 7-0 in a short while. In spite of New York’s undeniable surge of late, Girardi must find opportunities to rest key veterans. The matinee in question serves exactly that purpose.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: ORIOLES -1.5