No matter the price – bettors will flock to lay a wager on the Yankees, who are looking to avoid getting swept at home.
Seattle Mariners at New York Yankees
Seattle picked up a 7-0 shutout victory over the best team in baseball, thanks to a brilliant performance by starting pitcher Felix Hernandez. “He’s as good as we’ve seen all year,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi commented. The Mariners finished June with a 14-13 record, their first winning month of the season. Seattle has now won three straight games in New York for the first time since compiling a six-game winning streak from 2001-03. Bettors will be interested to know, tonight was just the second time all season that starting pitchers Cliff Lee and Hernandez won back-to-back games in the rotation.
Mariners starting pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith is 1-7 with a 6.18 ERA in 16 appearances (13 starts) this season (-680). The left-hander dropped his last contest on the road against Milwaukee, allowing five runs and five hits over 5.1 innings in a 8-3 loss. He will be seeking his first victory outside the state of Washington, posting an 0-5 mark and 8.10 ERA in eight road starts. He has allowed an incredible 60 hits and issued 11 walks in 36.2 innings. Rowland-Smith hasn’t picked up a decision against the Yankees in six games (two starts), surrendering 10 earned runs and walking 10 in 17 innings (5.29 ERA).
New York will be ready to turn the page after being shutout in the final game of June, which shouldn’t be much of a problem. The Yankees have had 17 consecutive winning July’s, including a 18-9 record in 2009. It’s also beneficial to have a starting pitcher on the mound this afternoon that is undefeated in his last 14 tries at the stadium, posing a 10-0 mark and 2.10 ERA. The Bronx Bombers have gone 12-2 over that span with C.C. Sabathia on the hill. The lines maker has placed quite a tariff on the Yankees this afternoon, as the team is 6-1 as a home favorite of -250 to -330 on the season (+280).
Yankees starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia is 9-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 16 starts this season (-30), including a five-game winning streak heading into this contest. This current streak marks the sixth time in his career he has won five consecutive decisions and just the third time he has won five straight starts. The left-hander is looking to record at least 10 wins prior to the All-Star break for just the second time in his career. Sabathia stands at a perfect 5-0 with a 2.57 ERA in seven home starts, allowing just 32 hits over 49 innings. Opposing batters are hitting just .184 against him at Yankee Stadium. He will be making his 15th career start against the Mariners, producing a 6-4 record and 2.97 ERA.
Bettors will certainly lineup to play the Yankees regardless of the price, as they’ve lost the first two games of this series. New York is an impressive 18-9 in day games this season (+320), but still misses the mark against lefties (-560). It’s hard to imagine the Mariners picking up a sweep against the best team in baseball, as they carry a 13-26 overall mark on the road (-1,150).
