For a mid-August game with no real solid postseason implications for the Yankees, this is a great test for Masahiro Tanaka.
He isn’t facing the Blue Jays. The 29-year-old righty will be facing a team that can and often does punish mistakes, as Domingo German and J.A. Happ surely know. Whatever progress he’s made in his last two starts against the Jays and Indians needs to come through in Oakland, or the Yankees will be swept heading into Los Angeles to face their competition for MLB’s best record.
Tanaka has a 2.53 ERA in his career against Oakland, yet he hasn’t faced the A’s since 2017. Considering the turnover and progression of their roster, those stats can be thrown out of the window.
Here are tonight’s lineups:
Yankees (83-45)
- DJ LeMahieu, 3B
- Aaron Judge, RF
- Didi Gregorius, SS
- Gio Urshela, DH
- Gary Sanchez, C
- Brett Gardner, CF
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
- Mike Tauchman, LF
- Mike Ford, 1B
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
Athletics (73-53)
- Marcus Semien, SS
- Robbie Grossman, LF
- Matt Chapman, 3B
- Matt Olson, 1B
- Mark Canha, CF
- Stephen Piscotty, RF
- Khris Davis, DH
- Corban Joseph, 2B
- Josh Phegley, C
RHP Tanner Roark
News & Notes
- Luis Severino may be less than a fortnight from a rehab game. The right-hander made it through today’s sim game well and will have a longer sim game in five days, followed by a rehab start if all goes well.
- David Hale had a knee injury, thus a setback in his rehab.
- Giancarlo Stanton was out running at the Oakland Coliseum. He’s still recovering from his sprained PCL.
A little earlier with the 9:37 p.m. start tonight. Per usual, it’s on YES and WFAN, though not ESPN tonight. Enjoy the baseball!