Tonight marks the first of four games, between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx.
Rookie pitcher Ivan Nova takes the mound for the pinstripes, as the Rays counter with Matt Garza in a rematch from last week’s slug-fest.
Nova is only making his sixth big-league start, but second in two weeks against the Rays. In their last meeting, Nova kept the Rays at bay for four innings, before imploding in the fifth allowing six runs.
Before that, Nova had only given up three earned runs total in his first four starts. He is 1-0 after five starts, with a 4.30 ERA, giving up 14 earned runs, nine walks and four home-runs over a total of 29.1 innings pitched. Nova has struck-out a season total of 19 which is a solid showing.
Nova needs to keep control on the mound and trust his stuff more. Nova can get the strikeouts when confident, especially if his fastball is on target. Nova is not afraid of the Rays or any other team, which he needs to show when he throws.
Rays Matt Garza is a workhorse, who thrives in hostile environments and Yankee stadium promises to be just that.
Garza can throw hard but as a right-handed pitcher, Garza struggles with lefty bats. So expect the Yankees to be stacked from the left side of the plate.
Garza is known to fall apart mentally and usually no turning back after that happens. He has hit seven batters on the season.
When Garza is in total concentration-mode he has an arsenal of pitches, throws very hard and can shutdown opposing teams bats completely.
In 2010 Garza is 14-8, with a 3.88 ERA and already pitched 185.2 innings on the season. He has allowed 80 earned runs to score, walked 58, with 27 home-runs against him and has struck-out 138.
MY PREDICTION:
Garza’s last two starts he couldn’t get passed the fifth inning, giving up 12 earned runs, walking 4 and allowing six balls go yard. It left him with a 12.00 ERA, with only five strikeouts in the two losses.
Nova blew a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning, but looked better the first four innings than Garza by far.
With the tribute to George Steinbrenner before this game, the Yankees owe the Boss a win because that is what he would want more than anything.
YANKEES WIN 7-3.
NOVA VS. GARZA GET A NO DECISION.
READ MORE AT…..LADY LOVES PINSTRIPES.
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