The New York Yankees (73-52) and Cleveland Indians (54-71) will continue a three-game American League series on Saturday night at Progressive Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 ET
New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
New York has sat atop the AL East standings for 74 consecutive days, picking up a 3-1 series-opening victory in Cleveland on Friday night. The Yankees avoided matching their longest losing streak of the season, pushing their lead over the Tampa Bay Rays to 3.5 games. Since this ballpark opened, the club has tallied a 49-28 margin, which results in the best win percentage for any AL team at the venue. New York has compiled a 16-10 record as a road favorite of -125 to -175, which fits nicely with its 28-15 mark versus losing teams overall.
Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda (12-8, 2.96 ERA) has enjoyed a solid August through four outings, posting a 2-1 mark and 1.52 ERA, with opposing hitters batting just .217 against him. The right-hander is 3-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 10 road outings, with opposing hitters batting .288 against him. Kuroda earned a 7-1 home win over the Indians in his only career starts against them on June 25, allowing one run and five hits over seven frames.
Cleveland has lost nine straight games and the offense has been non-existent over the last five contests, scoring just six combined runs in that span. “I liked the energy,” stated Indians manager Manny Acta. “But, still, you need to execute better in order to score runs. The Indians have been absolutely dreadful this month, as they already suffered through an earlier 11-game losing streak in August. Cleveland is 13-21 against AL East opponents, with the “under” going 18-15 in that situation.
Indians starting pitcher Justin Masterson (9-11, 4.73 ERA) had his two-game win streak snapped a 7-0 road loss to the Oakland Athletics, giving up seven runs and nine hits over 5.2 innings. The right-hander is 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA in 13 home outings, surrendering six home runs in 88 frames. In nine career games (five starts) versus the Yankees, Masterson has compiled a 2-3 record and 3.31 ERA, including a 6-4 road loss on June 26.
Sports bettors will likely play the total in this contest, as all four of Kuroda’s career starts in Adrian Johnson’s strike zone have gone OVER the number.
Make sure to check out our Major League Baseball picks all season long and get the most up-to-date betting odds at Bookmaker
