While the Texas Rangers enjoyed a night off in Manhattan, the New York Yankees experienced a nightmarish performance in the Bronx
After a competitive series in Chicago against the White Sox, the Rangers will attempt to widen their lead in the American League West when they visit the Yankees for the opener of a three-game set on Friday night
Texas took three of four at home against from April 27-30 and has held a share of the division lead for all but one day this year. The Rangers head to New York coming off consecutive series wins over the Toronto Blue Jays and the White Sox, and they are 4-1 since a 2-7 slump
After taking a 7-6 loss to Chicago on Tuesday when Jonah Heim was controversially called for catcher’s interference, Texas bounced back with a 6-3 win in the series finale on Wednesday. Heim hit a three-run homer and heads into this series having collected an extra-base hit in five of his past nine games.
“I mean (Tuesday) night, that’s as tough of a loss as we’ve had with that tough call that went against us,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “But this team has just shown time after time that it can bounce back and put that behind them.”
Former Yankees prospect Ezequiel Duran is hitting .333 (17-for-51) in 15 games since returning from an oblique injury
The Yankees are 6-9 since losing Aaron Judge to a bruised right toe and are hoping to rebound from one of their worst showings of the season. After recording a pair of narrow victories over the Seattle Mariners, New York was held to five hits in a 10-2 loss on Thursday night
Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning, but New York’s supporting cast continued to struggle.
DJ LeMahieu, who went 0-for-4 after sitting out four of the previous five games, was seen slamming his helmet in frustration. He has six hits in 39 at-bats this month (.154). Giancarlo Stanton finished 0-for-3 on Thursday and is 5-for-48 (.104) since returning from a hamstring injury on June 2.
“We’re playing for a lot, man,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “These guys have a lot of pride. They have done this for a while at a really high level. You go through some struggles for an extended period, guys are pissed off. That’s part of it.
Dane Dunning (6-1, 2.78 ERA) is scheduled to get the ball for Texas on Friday in what would be his ninth start since taking the spot of injured ace Jacob deGrom. As a starting pitcher, Dunning is 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA, though he is 2-0 with a 4.86 ERA over his past three starts.
Dunning last pitched on Saturday against Toronto, when he allowed two runs on six hits in six innings during a 4-2 win.
Dunning is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Yankees. He pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief of deGrom on April 28 in Texas, when he yielded two runs. Dunning took a no-hitter into the sixth inning on May 8, 2022, in New York, and he wound up allowing one run on two hits in six innings
The Yankees‘ Clarke Schmidt (2-6, 4.65 ERA) will try to stop a personal five-game winless skid. Since getting his last win on May 19 at Cincinnati, Schmidt is 0-2 despite a 2.36 ERA
The Yankees have not scored more than two runs in Schmidt’s past five outings, including Sunday in Boston, when he allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings as New York fell 6-2
Schmidt’s only career start against Texas came on April 28, when he was tagged for five runs and a career-worst 10 hits in five innings. He threw two scoreless innings against the Rangers in a relief outing on Oct. 4, 2022
–Field Level Media
