The Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees get set to play the third game of a four-game set at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon

Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees

Cleveland continues to struggle at the plate in dropping a 4-0 contest to New York at Yankee Stadium yesterday, which also marked the 11th time in 17 games that the club has failed to score more than two runs.  “We didn’t score any runs,” Indians manager Manny Acta stated.  The team has lost eight of its last nine and been shutout in three games over that stretch.  It’s a surprising turn of events for an offense that entered Saturday’s game ranked fifth in the American League in runs per game at 4.62, while also ranking seventh in runs scored.  Cleveland is 10-10 in day games this season and 53-79 in this situation the last three years.

Indians starting pitcher Josh Tomlin is 7-3 with a 3.71 ERA in 12 starts this season and has alternated wins and losses over his last four outings.  The right-hander is coming off a 6-4 home loss to Minnesota, surrendering six runs and nine hits over six innings of work.  Tomlin has registered a 3-2 mark and 3.86 ERA in six road starts, as opponents are hitting just .227 against him.  His only career start against New York came on July 27 of last year at Progressive Field, earning his first career win in his Major League debut, giving up a single run and three hits over seven frames.

New York has proven victorious in the opening two games of this particular series and was led by the power of outfielder Curtis Granderson Saturday, hitting his 19th and 20th home runs of the season.  The Yankees came into the contest leading the Majors in home runs and multi-home run games.  So far this season, the club has hit a round tripper in 49 of the team’s 62 games in 2011.  Saturday’s victory also continued the team’s tremendous play during the day, coming into the third game of the series with a 16-3 daytime mark.  New York is 22-20 versus right-handed starting pitchers this season and 12-8 against teams with a winning record.

Yankees starting pitcher Freddy Garcia is 4-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) this season and is coming off a terrible performance last time out.  The right-hander lasted just 1 2/3 innings at home against the Red Sox, giving up four runs and four hits.  Garcia will be aiming to even up his record at Yankee Stadium, entering with a 3-4 mark and 4.10 ERA.  He is undefeated in three daytime starts, going 2-0 and allowing only three combined runs in 18 1/3 frames.  The veteran is winless in his last six starts against Cleveland, producing an 0-3 record and 7.44 ERA dating back to September 2005.

Bettors will be interested in playing the Indians due to their 4-1 mark in Tomlin’s last five starts versus the AL East, while the Yankees are 1-4 in Garcia’s last five starts with four days rest.