Mariners and Yankees Set to Face-Off in The Big Apple
It’s no secret that the Seattle Mariners have hit a serious slump in the wake of their historic start to the year.
After going 7–3 through the first month of season, followed by a six-game winning streak to begin the month of April, the M’s ran into trouble. They dropped six in a row after the win streak and their run of 20 consecutive games with at least one home run was broken on April 17 during the loss to the Cleveland Indians. The Mariners won eight games before April 11, but only won five more games that month.
There were however highlights in April that proved hopeful for Seattle going forward. While their stats aren’t as safe as they once were, the Mariners continue to lead all of major league baseball with 65 home runs and they are 11 home runs ahead of the second place team in the AL West, the Astros. Also, despite their slump, the Mariners are still second in the AL West standings and are only two games back from Houston.
All hope is not lost and it rarely ever is in a sport that has over 100 games per season. But it is certainly true that Seattle has a big task ahead of them. Following a 2–1 series loss against Cleveland, the Mariners will travel to the Big Apple to take on the New York Yankees in a four-game set.
New York has had a tumultuous start to their season that has little to do with their win-loss record. The Yankees had a slew of injuries within the first month of play including Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorious, and, more recently, James Paxton. The rising ace Luis Severino has also been plagued with an inflamed rotator cuff and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star Game.
The team has performed well through the tribulations though and currently sit in second place behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. New York has won four of their last seven including a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and two losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Standouts on the squad are Luke Voit (.269 AVG, 9 HRS) and Gary Sanchez (.271 AVG, 11 HRS).
Competition between the M’s and the Yankees will not be easy for either team, but a series-win would be a big confidence boost to whoever takes home the victories. With both ballclubs in tough spots and summer steadily approaching, it’s moments like these that spark a fire. Only one question remains; who’s going to bring the matches?
