The Yankees end a seven-game road trip by traveling to Chicago and playing the White Sox for three games. This series begins a stretch that goes through the end of the month where the Yankees play a slew of .500 or below clubs.
After a four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox this weekend, New York is now 9.5 games back in the American League East and need to take advantage of this stretch.
Chicago is inexperienced and it shows with their 41-70 record, only ahead of the Royals for worst in the American League Central. Although, they currently have a four-game winning streak, including a sweep of the Rays in that stretch.
Game 1: Lance Lynn vs Dylan Covey
Sonny Gray’s replacement makes his first official start for the Yankees to kick off the series. Lynn (7-8, 4.89 ERA) pitched 4.1 shutout innings in his pinstripe debut, cleaning up Gray’s seven-run mess.
Lynn has some success against the White Sox, pitching to a 2.67 ERA in five career starts. Although, in two starts against them while pitching for the Twins earlier this season, he has a 4.91 ERA.
Covey (4-7 , 5.57 ERA), after two-hitting the Mariners for 8.1 innings three starts ago, has allowed 10 runs in his last nine innings pitched.
He started off the year well, having a 2.90 ERA in seven starts. Since then, he owns an 8.91 ERA in his last seven starts. The 26-year-old has shown a couple spurts of greatness, coupled with a lot of bad outings. The Yankees should be able to pounce on him early.
Game 2: CC Sabathia vs Reynaldo Lopez
Like many other Yankees starting pitchers, Sabathia (6-4, 3.59) has struggled to give length as of late. He looked completely gassed after three innings against the Red Sox his last outing.
Sabathia has failed to make it through six full innings in each of his last four starts. The signs of wear are evident in the 38-year-old southpaw. He’s pitched just 12.2 innings against the White Sox in the last three seasons, but has compiled a 3.78 career ERA in 35 starts (mostly from his days in Cleveland).
Lopez (4-9, 4.77 ERA), another young gun, is still finding his way in his first full season in the Majors. Like Covey, Lopez had a promising start to the season (2.93 ERA in 10 starts).
Since then, the 24-year-old has pitched to a 5.83 ERA, highlighted by a 7.50 ERA in his last four starts. The Yankees need to strike early in this game, as Lopez has a 7.36 ERA and .948 OPS allowed in the first inning.
Game 3: Luis Severino vs Lucas Giolito
Severino (14-5, 3.08 ERA) took a step in the right direction against the Red Sox, but he’s still not where he needs to be. Aaron Boone stretched his ace out to a season-high 115 pitches, and Severino seemed to find himself as the outing progressed.
He grinded through 5.2 innings, where he allowed four runs. The only real mistake Severino made was a two-run home run to Steve Pearce. After enduring one of the worst stretches of his young career, Sevy is slowly returning to the dominant ace we know he is.
Giolito (7-8, 5.97 ERA) has struggled to say the least. His ERA improved to under six for the first time since April 12 after pitching seven innings of one-run ball against the Rays in his previous start.
Giolito leads the league with 80 earned runs and 68 base on balls. If the offense performs how it should, the Yankees will take this series with ease.
