New York- We have entered the dog days of summer. The straining time period in MLBs season where franchises across the league go on brutal stretches. Whether it be a trend down in the standings, or statistically in the box scores. A culmination of physical and mental errors at the plate, on the mound, or in the field. Injuries that jeopardize the daily routine of offensive/defensive alignments. A pure indication of where the New York Yankees see themselves today, a rough patch in the season. In their last 10 games, the Bronx Bombers have gone 2-8.
“Result wise, it’s been a tough few weeks here. Getting back in that really good groove that we know we’re going to get to,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “I think all things considered, we’re in the right frame of mind. We just got to start putting it together on a nightly basis and getting back to shaking hands after the games.”
Well, the most historic rivalry in sports is going down at Fenway Park this weekend. Aaron Judge and the Yankees head to Boston for a clash with the Red Sox in a 3-game series. The next three days are the perfect opportunity for New York to trend back into their winning groove. The projected pitching matchups are slated below.
NY Yankees (71-41) vs. Boston Red Sox (55-58) – Fenway Park
Friday August 12th – 7:10pm
RHP Domingo Germán (1-2, 5.09 ERA) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-3, 4.23 ERA)
Saturday August 13th – 7:15pm
RHP Frankie Montas (4-9, 3.59 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.30 ERA)
Sunday August 14th – 7:08pm
RHP Jameson Taillon (11-2, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.69 ERA)
NYY: Frankie Montas – Sainagua, Dominican Republic
Image Credit: Major League Baseball
A key player to watch in the weekend series is the new face in town for the Bronx Bombers, right-hander Frankie Montas. The Yankees trade acquisition of Montas was centered on being the ultimate punch come October baseball. Nonetheless, that is, if the 29-year-old falls back into the elite form opponents have come to struggle with this season as well as ones previously.
In his Yankees debut last Sunday at St. Louis, Montas totaled three innings while allowing 6 earned runs on 5 hits, 3 walks with two strikeouts. “I was not in sync with my mechanics. I was missing my spots a lot,” said Montas after the 12-9 loss to the Cardinals.
On the other hand, Montas has allowed two or less earned runs in fourteen of his twenty outings this season (19 with OAK; 1 with NYY). The Yankees anticipated postseason trio between Gerrit Cole and Montas paired with Nestor Cortes, leads many to believe New York is destined in the chase for their 28th World Series title in franchise history.
The storylike playoff crash course between the Bronx Bombers and Houston Astros is one discussed week in and week out. Perhaps the Yankees viewed Montas as the underlying factor in the potential ALCS matchup. While pitching for the Oakland A’s, he proved his dominance against the Astros on a consistent basis. In seven outings dating back to 2020 against Houston, Montas is 5-2 with five or more innings pitched while allowing two or less runs in each of those starts.
After the trade became official with the deadline looming on August 2nd, Boone expressed his thoughts to the Montas addition, “He’s got the full arsenal, the weapons and stuff you look for in a top-of-the-rotation guy… He’s gone out and proved that the last couple of years, that he is that kind of caliber pitcher.”
Regarding Saturday night’s matchup, Montas is a bit familiar with Boston’s lineup as he faced the Red Sox previously in May this season with the Athletics. Although he recorded a loss in the outing, Montas delivered with efficient command allowing six hits, one earned run (3 unearned) with seven strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Although the Yankees fanbase is just beginning their ventures with Montas on the mound, Dominicans across the globe are well aware of the elite Sainagua native.
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Robert Rizzo writes for Latino Sports
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Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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