Runs will probably be at a premium in the April 24th Yankees at Indians matchup. Two of the top four finishers for the AL Cy Young get set to face off when Gerrit Cole (2-1, 1.82) squares off against Shane Bieber (2-1, 2.45 ERA). The betting total for this one is just 6.5.
New York has taken the first two in this series, and are a slight -125 favorite coming into Saturday afternoon’s matchup. The Indians have now dropped 5 of their last 6, but their only victory over that span was when Bieber was on the mound.
Lot to Like About New York?
The Yankees have used this two game win streak over Cleveland to inch their way closer out of the basement of the AL East. At 8-11 the Yankees are now in a tie with Baltimore in the cellar, but still just 4GB of the 1st place Red Sox.
The 11 runs scored so far for New York is kind of an offensive breakthrough, as they had been held to 3 runs or less in 7 of 8 prior. Giancarlo Stanton hit a couple of HRs on Friday night, as the Yankees had nearly as many runs (5) as they did hits (6). Stanton is 3 for his last 13 (.231) but they’ve all been bombs. Don’t expect a ton off Bieber in the April 24th Yankees at Indians matchup, as NYY is just 3-22 (.136) in limited exposure to the Indians starter.
New York is nearly worth a play every time Cole takes the mound, and you just don’t see him at -125 very often. NYY has been -180 or higher in all four of the right-hander’s starts, including -240 vs. the Rays last Sunday and -303 vs. Baltimore earlier in the month. The big man has delivered too, with 5 ER allowed in four starts.
Can Bieber Dominate This Lineup?
For as good as Cole has been this season, it could be argued that Bieber has been even better. Cole has been the more consistent, as the Indians starter does have a couple 3ER outings in four starts. That being said Bieber has 48K’s in 29.1 IP, tallying at least 11 in all four starts.
Will Bieber be a bit hesitant of facing this New York lineup though, as he was roughed up for 7ER on 9 hits across 4.2 IP in last year’s 12-3 Yankees win in the wild card game. Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres both went deep off the Indians starter in that contest. Bieber didn’t pitch vs. New York in the regular season last year, but allowed 5ER in 1.2 IP vs. the Yankees in 2019.
The harsh thing is that Bieber doesn’t have much room for error as his offense is going to struggle against Cole. The right hander struck out 13 Indians batters in 7 IP in the wild card game last year, and the Indians have only managed 3 runs in each of the games vs. Jordan Montgomery and Domingo German so far in this series.
Free April 24th Yankees at Indians Pick
It’s hard to ever go against Bieber, who was 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA last year, but he doesn’t seem to like facing the Yankees. Cole has been just as dominant, so in this toss-up game you go with the offense with more potential to break things open once the bullpens get involved. That’s New York.
Yankees 4 – Indians 2
Pick: Yankees -125
