Girardi’s Yankees close in on sweep of Angels
The Yankees haven’t completed a four-game sweep of the Angels since 1994. These days, however, Joe Girardi’s team bears more than a passing resemblance to those classic clubs of yesteryear.
New York (29-30) tries to get back to the .500 mark when it hosts Los Angeles this evening, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch on the East Coast. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv lean toward the Bronx Bombers as 1.5-run favorites. Mike Scioscia’s Halos, on the other hand, enter as +127 underdogs. The over/under run total sits at nine.
With another two-run homer in last night’s 12-6 victory, Yanks right fielder Carlos Beltran continued his assault on American League hurlers. The eight-time All-Star boasts a .352 batting average with eight blasts and 22 RBIs since May 19. Only two sluggers in the junior circuit can claim a greater number of dingers on the campaign.
Beltran will look to bring the lumber in support of Ivan Nova (4-3, 4.41 ERA) shortly. The righty totes a 3.43 ERA as a starter, permitting one tally or fewer in three of said assignments. Most recently, he took a shutout into the sixth inning vs. division rival Baltimore.
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Scioscia responds with Jhoulys Chacin (2-3, 4.50), who received a no-decision over the weekend after holding the Pirates to six hits across five frames. Considering that Jered Weaver got bombed roughly 13 hours ago, Chacin must venture decidedly deeper here. The fact remains, though, that Los Angeles (26-33) has dropped eight straight at Yankee Stadium.
Make it nine.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: YANKEES -1.5
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