This story was originally published by Dead Spin
One day into the final month of the season, the New York Yankees find themselves in a bit of a skid. They’ve lost four of their past five games and are only a half-game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for top spot in the American League East.
The Yankees (79-58) will look to turn that around and get back on track when they kick off a six-game road trip on Monday with three against the Texas Rangers (65-72) in Arlington, Texas.
“As bad as people think we are playing … we are still in first place,” said pitcher Nestor Cortes, who started Sunday in a 14-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. “It’s there for us to take. We just have to come out every day prepared and be ready to win every single day.”
The Yankees’ pitching struggled in the defeat. Cortes lasted four innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. The bullpen gave up the remaining nine runs, including five in a seventh inning that began with the score tied 7-7.
They’ll turn to Gerrit Cole (5-3, 3.86 ERA) to open the series.
The veteran right-hander, who is 6-4 with a 3.74 ERA in 16 career starts against the Rangers, has thrown at least five innings in each of his past eight outings. In August, he held opponents to three runs on 17 hits across four starts before giving up three runs on six hits in his most recent appearance, a 4-2 setback against the Washington Nationals last Tuesday.
New York has lost three of its past four series against teams outside of the playoffs, and will face another in Texas.
“We know how important these games are,” manager Aaron Boone said. “… We have to play our best, and we have to put our best foot forward to win these games. And we hope we start that (Monday) night.”
The Yankees welcomed back first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Sunday. Rizzo, who had been out since June 18 with a forearm fracture, went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and scored twice.
The Rangers are coming off a 6-4 walk-off win against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Josh Jung knocked a three-run shot in the 10th inning to lift them to their fifth win in their past six games.
It was their second straight walk-off victory and eighth of the season.
“I think winning and having fun are kind of intertwined a little bit,” Jung said. “So yeah, we’re having a good time. That was a really fun moment for me today. I was jumping up and down. I think when you start winning more games, fun comes with it.”
August proved to be a fun month for Corey Seager. He had 11 home runs last month, tying for second most in the majors, one behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
“It’s just impressive,” pitcher Nathan Eovaldi said of Seager last week. “We’re so grateful just to be able to watch him play every day and everything that he does on a day-in, day-out basis.”
Though Monday’s starter hadn’t been officially confirmed, it’s expected Texas will have lefty Andrew Heaney (4-13, 3.95) on the mound. He’s 1-4 with a 5.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
