The New York Yankees, fresh off a sweep over the Texas Rangers, begin a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night. The game will be played at the Oakland Coliseum and is scheduled to start at 1:05 PM ET.
MLB betting odds list the Yankees at -160 and the Athletics at +140 with an over/under of 8.5.
New York (9-3, 4-2 away) has done a fabulous job of defending their ’09 World Series. They are coming into this series after winning seven of their last eight games.
The New York Yankees are in the top four in the AL in both total runs scored (69) and team ERA (3.63). They are, however, playing for a chance to lead their division, as the red hot Tampa Bay Rays lead them by a half game. The Rays will be playing the Chicago White Sox earlier in the evening.
Despite Oakland’s inferior record (9-5, 6-2 home), they are the division leaders in this game. They are ahead of the LA Angels and Seattle Mariners by two games. This will be one of Oakland’s first real tests, as New York is the first team they will face this year with a winning record.
Adding to the Oakland A’s challenges will be the return of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. The star sat out Sunday’s game with a cold but is expected to return. In recent times he has had his way with the Athletics, going .463 with two home runs last season against them. He has gotten off to a great start as well, hitting safely in every game so far this year en route to a .380 average.
Javier Vasquez (0-2, 9.82 ERA) will be starting for the Yankees. The three-time 15 game winner has struggled so far this season, earning losses in each of his first two starts. His season debut, in which he gave up 8 earned runs and 2 home runs, was particularly dreadful. He showed signs of improvement in his last start and
New York is confident he will be ready to step it up.
One of Oakland’s biggest strengths is their pitching. Their 2.90 team ERA is best in the AL. Gio Gonzales, as Oakland’s Tuesday night starter, will seek to keep that ERA low. The left hander (1-0, 3.38 ERA) is making his first home start this season. He has started just one other time against New York, and he was able to give up just one run in 6 2/3 innings of work in a 6-4 victory.
Earlier in the evening, New York’s division rival Tampa Bay will be playing the Chicago White Sox. If the Rays lose and the Yankees win, New York will take sole possession of first place in the AL East.
