The Tigers slander here will be minimal, seeing how well that worked this past weekend. And truthfully, there isn’t much slander to send their way even if I wanted to. Though they sit 3rd in the AL Central with a 4-5 record, the Tigers have made significant strides into the future, adding former Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and New York Mets shortstop Javier Baez while also entrusting their young core to lead the franchise into the future with Tarik Skubal and Spencer Torkelson. The Yankees will have their work cut out for them this week as they try to reclaim first in the American League East.
New York Yankees (5-5, 3rd AL East) vs. Detroit Tigers (4-5, 5rd AL Central)
Here is the information to watch or listen to the Yankees this series:
Tuesday
6:40 PM
Watch on: YES Network
Listen on: 101.9 FM or 660AM
Wednesday
6:40 PM
Watch on: YES Network
Listen on: 101.9 FM or 660AM
Thursday
1:10 PM
Watch on: YES Network
Listen on: 101.9 FM or 660AM
The Yankees are struggling right now. There’s nothing to hide on that front. Runners are constantly being left on base, and the big hitters haven’t been coming through as often as they should be. Players like Joey Gallo (unfortunately, that name seems like it will come up negatively more often than not this season), Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Judge should have been tremendous threats all weekend long, and that was not the case. Stanton would have a very nice Friday outing with three hits and one run batted in but would cool down almost immediately after for the weekend. A weak Baltimore team should have been a feast for Gallo at the dish but instead would go 1-for-10 and strike out three times through the entire series. Judge did not have a much better series, tallying nearly the same numbers in three fewer at-bats. Josh Donaldson would finally gain momentum with a long ball Saturday night but did no further damage following the at-bat. So what do the Yankees need to do to generate momentum? Or, could the more important question be what is causing them to look disinterested? For those watching this weekend’s series, there was rarely a happy face, maybe one or two quick grins, almost looking as if this series was more of a burden to them than an opportunity to sweep a series early in 2022. It leaves some wondering, “has morale dropped?” or “are they unhappy with the front office or managerial staff?”. All pose legitimate questions, and it has been some time since we last saw a Yankee lineup looking this somber, almost as if they feel sorry for themselves. Whatever the case is, the issue needs to be addressed and fast. The last thing anyone would want is for the 2022 campaign to derail before it can get going. There is no excuse for anything less than winning for the division with a team this powerful.
Player to watch: Isaiah Kiner-Falefa
I only picked one player for this series because to keep watching players like Gallo and Donaldson will get redundant. Since his arrival, IKF has shown on the field he is thrilled to be a Yankee and is living out a childhood dream of his own. But now it’s time for him to start playing like a Yankee. Hitting just .214 for the season (6-for-28) while producing zero RBIs, let alone a home run does not help the case of being the locked down shortstop for this season. Although we know (or at least think) IKF is a one-year solution until Anthony Volpe is ready to be called up, it is still crucial for IKF to produce while being the everyday shortstop. It would be nice for him to come out of his shell this series and be a significant impact player for a successful road series in the Motor City.
Series Prediction: 2-1 Yankees
