Preview: Yankees vs Giants (9/21/13)
(Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Ivan Nova (8-5, 3.36 ERA) is on the mound this afternoon against Ryan Vogelsong (3-5, 5.73 ERA.) Nova has allowed four earned runs in back to back outings and hasn't won in three starts, but has been a better pitcher in the second half. Nova has a 3.15 ERA in 11 starts since the All Star break, and has pitched much better at home. "It hurts," Nova said after Monday's 9-2 loss to the Red Sox. "It's bad, especially when you see the teams ahead of you lose and you want to get a win for the team. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it today. That's the worst part."
In 24 career Interleague appearances, including 13 starts, Vogelsong is 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA. He has a 6.06 road ERA this season, compared with 5.53 at home.
The Yankees' window to gain ground in the American League Wild Card chase is quickly shrinking. Even with a dramatic late inning win on Friday, The Bombers have lost five of its last seven games, and there are only eight remaining.
"Every day is a new day," Joe Girardi said of shaking off his team's rough series in Toronto. "You have to learn how to do that in this business. That's just how you were trained, because you do it day after day after day, year after year after year. Obviously, we have made the battle tougher, because we did not finish the road trip like we started and we need help from other teams. The only thing we can do is control what we do. For us to reach the playoffs, we're going to have to play better."
Andy Pettitte announced on Friday that the 2013 season will be his last. He will say goodbye to the home fans on Sunday, which will coincide with the retirement ceremony for Mariano Rivera. "They have been absolutely great to me, and it's been wonderful playing here for the years that I've played here," Pettitte said. "I really wanted to have an opportunity to do that."
Notes on the game.
Alex Rodriguez set the Major League record with his 24th career grand slam in the seventh inning of Friday's 5-1 win. He passed Lou Gehrig on the all time list.
This weekend's three game set is just the third between the Giants and the Yankees since Interleague Play began in 1997
First pitch at 1:05 PM on Fox