The New York Yankees arrive at The Cell tonight for a highly anticipated 3-game series that pits the best in the East versus the best in the Central of the American League. After being swept by the Kansas City Royals this weekend, the Sox need to pick up the pieces and get back to their winning ways despite an onslaught of recent injuries to the south siders.
What and Who You Need To Know:
- The Sox have a thin bench with Alejandro de Aza and Kevin Youkilis going in and out of the line-up and other players like Paul Konerko and AJ Pierzynski also suffering minor injuries.
- The Yankees have dealt with injuries all season with big role players landing on the disabled list this season: pitchers C.C. Sabathia, Andy Petite, and Mariano Rivera and sluggers Alex Rodriguez and Brett Gardner
- The Yankees have rebounded after an average start to the season. Not only do they have the best record in the AL at 72-49. They also play in the AL East, a powerhouse division that features solid teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and, sometimes, the Boston Red Sox.
- Despite the Yanks overwhelming list of injuries, they still have managed to score runs and win. Captain Derek Jeter has rebounded from last year and currently leads the team in batting average (.321) and second in runs. The younger guns can also hit ‘a la’ Robinson Cano, Mark Texiera and Curtis Granderson. These three men lead the way in most offensive hitting categories for the Bronx Bombers.
Freddy Garcia, Nick Swisher, Andruw Jones
- This series features a few players that have experience playing for both teams. The Sox just acquired Dewayne Wise after the Yankees released him within the last month. Wise has been a great pickup for the Sox so far. Tonight will feature former White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia on the mound for NY. He played two stints in a Sox uniform, one of which came during the Sox 2005 World Series. Some other names Sox fans might recognize from yesteryear? Andruw Jones, Nick Swisher and Boone Logan. (The Sox have had 42 trades with the Yanks through the years!)
Your Take Away Piece: “The Sox will need to summon their bats to keep from being swept a home this week. I will give Chicago some credit, this season they have been able to bounce back fairly well after a losing streak. Let’s just hope the Sox streak ends at 3!”
Series Schedule: New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox, U.S. Cellular Field
Monday, 7:10PM, Freddy Garcia vs. Gavin Floyd: Watch on Comcast Sports Net
Tuesday, 7:10PM, Ivan Nova vs. Francisco Liriano: Watch on Comcast Sports Net, MLB Network
Wednesday, 7:10PM, Phil Hughes vs. Chris Sale: Watch on WCIU , ESPN2
