Playoff baseball is back in the Bronx tonight for game 3 of the 5-game divisional series against the Orioles. After splitting the first two games in Baltimore, the Yankees need a win tonight in New York to take the advantage in this short set.
Hiroki Kuroda will start tonight for the Yankees, and starting pitching has been the bright point of the team so far in the playoffs. C.C. Sabathia pitched well in game one, as did Andy Pettitte in Game two even though he took the loss. But they’ll need run support from the offense in order for their strong pitching efforts to mean something.
Besides a ninth inning outbreak during game one, the Bomber offense has been mostly stagnant. As has been the story of much of the regular season, they’re having trouble coming through with the big hit when runners are in scoring position, and if they don’t hit homers, it seems like they don’t score runs. Big sluggers like Granderson, Swisher, and most notably, Alex Rodriguez, have been unproductive and kept quiet.
Despite the offensive struggles and the criticism that has rained down on the team as a result, Manager, Joe Girardi, is sticking to his guns and keeping Alex Rodriguez in the lineup at the three-spot tonight as the designated hitter. A-Rod has looked lazy with his swing and doesn’t seem to be getting much behind it, but he’ll have one more chance tonight to prove he’s still capable of contributing something to the club.
New York Yankees
Derek Jeter, SS
Ichiro Suzuki, LF
Alex Rodriquez, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Curtis Granderson, CF
Russell Martin, C
Eric Chavez, 3B
Pitching: RHP Hiroki Kuroda
Game Time: 7:30 pm ESTat Yankee Stadium
TV: TBS, SN
Radio: ESPN Radio
