The New York Yankees (99-63, 57-24 home), the second-seed in the American League, host the three-seed Cleveland Guardians (92-70, 46-35 away) in the AL Division Series opener. New York had success against Cleveland during the regular season, winning five of six games against the Guardians.
The first pitch of Tuesday’s contest is at 7:37 p.m. EST inside Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. New York is the favorite at -220, and the over/under total is seven runs.
What to Know – Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland won the AL Central division but finished the lowest of the other division winners, so began the playoffs as one of the Wild Cards. The Guardians took care of Tampa Bay in a pair of low-scoring games, winning the opener 2-1 and Game 2, 1-0 in 15 innings.
Right-hander Chad Quantrill is expected to toe the rubber for the visitors in the opener. The 27-year-old posted career-bests this year, finishing the regular season with a 15-5 record, 3.38 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP. Quantrill struck out 128 batters and walked 47 over 186.1 innings of work.
It was just another year at the dish for all-star third baseman Jose Ramirez. The four-time all-star led Cleveland with 29 home runs and 126 runs batted in, adding a two-run shot in Game 1 of the series against the Rays.
The Guardians averaged 4.3 runs per game, sitting seventh in the MLB batting .254 as a team. Cleveland’s pitching staff ranked sixth in the league featuring a 3.46 team earned run average.
What to Know – New York Yankees
The Yankees won the AL East and secured the second seed and an extra few days of rest before beginning their playoff run. New York is back in the postseason for the sixth-straight season and 58th time in the franchise’s storied history.
New York hands the ball over to their ace Gerrit Cole to shut down the Guardians’ offense. Cole led the major league in strikeouts during the regular season, punching out 257 batters over 200.2 innings. He enters the postseason with a 13-8 record, 3.50 ERA, and 1.02 WHIP.
Aaron Judge put up MVP numbers in 2022, blasting a franchise record 62 home runs and driving in tying for an MLB-best 131 RBIs. Anthony Rizzo added 32 home runs and 75 RBIs, while Giancarlo Stanton chipped in 31 home runs, plating 78 runners.
The Yankees were fifteenth in the league hitting .244 as a team while scoring 4.9 runs per contest. New York’s pitching staff sported a 3.30 team ERA, third in the MLB.
The Pick is In
The Yankees are rested and ready to go, while the Guardians had to endure a pair of tight contests over the weekend and one that went 15 innings. New York sends their ace to the mound to pair with their lineup of sluggers.
Cleveland can make this a series, especially if the Yankees’ second-half offense shows up. But Game 1 belongs to the Yankees on Tuesday night.
The Pick: New York Yankees -1.5
