Jake Arrieta and Gio Gonzalez should be happy to see the calendar flip to
July.
They¡¯ll hope to put a rough June behind them when they face off Sunday in the
finale of a four-game set between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington
Nationals. The Phillies will try to win the series in the 1:35 p.m. matinee.
Arrieta
(5-6 http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-uchenna-nwo su-jersey ,
3.54 ERA) had a 6.66 ERA in five June starts. Opponents hit .305 with a .907 OPS
against him in the month, and the veteran right-hander allowed at least three
earned runs in each outing.
In his last start, Arrieta gave up six runs (three earned) in five innings
against the New York Yankees on nine hits, two of which were homers.
¡°The ball is getting hit, that¡¯s it. Making mistakes, too many mistakes,¡±
Arrieta told MLB.com after the start. ¡°I was throwing quality breaking balls
early in the count and then when I needed to go back to a similar spot or a
little bit lower in the strike zone or out of the strike zone, I just put it too
much in the zone and they hit it. It¡¯s a pretty simple explanation.¡±
Arrieta had a 0.90 ERA in five starts during May, and he gave up just one run
and two hits in six innings against the Nationals on May 6. Arrieta is 1-2 with
a 5.02 ERA in 10 career starts against the Nationals.
Gonzalez (6-5, 3.68) had an even worse June. The 32-year-old lefty had an
8.44 ERA in five starts during the month. In three of those outings, Gonzalez
gave up at least four earned runs and failed to pitch more than four
innings.
Gonzalez had his worst start of 2018 the last time he took the mound. He gave
up six runs and walked five batters in one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on
Monday.
¡°It wasn¡¯t my night. I couldn¡¯t get a strike,¡± Gonzalez, who missed the
strike zone with 33 of his 62
pitches http://www.jetsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trenton-cannon- jersey ,
told reporters after the outing. ¡°Sometimes it happens. It¡¯s part of the
game.¡±
Gonzalez will be facing the Phillies for the 25th time in his 11-year big
league career. He is 11-7 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP against the Nationals¡¯
divisional rival. Gonzalez threw five scoreless innings against Philadelphia on
May 4.
The Phillies, who are 5-4 against the Nationals this season, have won two of
the first three games against their divisional foe in the series. At 44-37, they
are two games ahead of Washington for second place in the National League East.
The Phillies were 28-53 through 81 games a season ago.
The Phillies hope Odubel Herrera¡¯s bat heats up. The center fielder homered
in Saturday¡¯s 3-2 victory after going 2-for-28 in his previous seven games.
Herrera is hitting .286 on the season with 14 homers and 46 RBIs.
The Nationals, meanwhile, went 9-16 in June and are 42-39 at the halfway mark
of the season.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone would like to see Luis Severino
start the All Star game for the American League.
He just wants someone else to take over in the second inning.
Severino pitched five innings to earn his major league-leading 14th win,
Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge each hit solo home runs, and New York beat the
Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 Saturday.
Severino (14-2) won his fifth straight start, allowing three runs and five
hits. Two of the hits off Severino were home runs, marking the first time this
season that he has allowed more than one homer in a game. Severino has allowed
three earned runs or less in 16 consecutive starts.
¡±He¡¯s been everything you want an ace to be,¡± Boone said.
The All-Star rosters will be announced Sunday, although starting pitchers for
each league won¡¯t be named until the day before the game.
¡±I¡¯d love to see him start, and go one
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Boone said.
Jonathan Holder, David Robertson, Dellin Betances each worked one inning and
Aroldis Chapman got the first out of the ninth before leaving with a sore left
knee, the same injury that has bothered him for several weeks.
¡±Just a little more discomfort than what I usually have been feeling,¡±
Champman said through a translator.
With the Yankees ahead by four runs, Boone wasn¡¯t about to take any
chances.
¡±He said he was fine to continue but I just didn¡¯t want to mess with it,¡±
Boone said.
Chasen Shreve finished for New York, giving up a solo homer to Aledmys
Diaz.
Gardner connected on left-hander J.A. Happ¡¯s first pitch of the game, the
14th leadoff homer of his career and first time he¡¯s gone deep on the opening
pitch.
Judge piled on when he homered on Happ¡¯s fifth pitch, his 25th of the
season.
¡±He does a good job of really painting the corners and mixing his pitches
well,¡± Judge said of Happ.¡± We were able to capitalize on a couple that were out
over the plate.¡±
Happ (10-5), a potential trade target for the Yankees, had a dreadful
audition. He allowed six runs and four hits in 2 2-3
innings http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-daryl-worley -jersey ,
his shortest start of the season.
¡±You never know what¡¯s speculation, what¡¯s truth, and what has any realistic
chance,¡± Happ said of the trade rumours. ¡±I¡¯m just trying to play and pitch and
I¡¯m happy right here.¡±
Happ matched season-worsts by allowing seven runs and 10 hits in his previous
outing, last Sunday against Detroit. It¡¯s the first time in Happ¡¯s career that
he has allowed at least six earned runs in consecutive starts. Happ has lost
back-to-back outings following a six-game winning streak.
Brandon Drury hit a two-run double in the first and Gardner hit a two-run
triple in the fifth before scoring on catcher Luke Maile¡¯s passed ball.
Toronto¡¯s Kevin Pillar hit a two-run homer in the second and Randal Grichuk
added a solo shot in the fourth.
New York outfielder Aaron Hicks left after four innings because of a sore
left hamstring. Clint Frazier came on to play left field in the bottom of the
fifth, with Gardner moving from left to center.
Boone said Hicks will get the day off Sunday in the hopes that he¡¯ll be ready
to return for Monday¡¯s doubleheader at Baltimore.
Home plate umpire Lance Barrett made two ejections, both in the third inning.
Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia was ejected for arguing balls and strikes from
the bench moments before Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was also tossed for
arguing.
CATCH OF THE DAY
Toronto¡¯s Curtis Granderson made a sensational diving catch to retire Kyle
Higashioka for the final out of the first.
WALK THIS WAY
The Yankees drew 10 walks, their highest total of 2018. It was the most
issued in a single game by the Blue Jays this season.
TRAINER¡¯S ROOM
Yankees: New York recalled Frazier from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre and
designated RHP David Hale for assignment. Hale pitched 5 2-3 innings Friday in
relief of RHP Sonny Gray. ¡ C Gary Sanchez (right groin) caught RHP Masahiro
Tanaka¡¯s pregame bullpen session and also took two rounds of batting practice.
Boone said Sanchez could begin a minor league rehab assignment July 15. ¡
Triple-A RHP Luis Cessa is expected to start the second game of Monday¡¯s
doubleheader. Triple-A RHP Jonathan Loaisiga was a candidate for the start but
has been ruled out because of a sore shoulder. Boone said Loaisiga had an MRI
Friday and will visit New York¡¯s team doctor Monday.
Blue Jays: RHP Rhiner Cruz (right groin) left in the ninth inning. ¡ RHP
Preston Guilmet was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. Guilmet was designated for
assignment Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Domingo German (2-4, 5.37) faces Blue Jays LHP Ryan Borucki (0-1,
2.77) in Sunday¡¯s series finale. German has failed to complete five innings in
his past two starts. Borucki made his home debut against Detroit on Monday,
allowing two runs and two hits in seven innings.
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