The New York Yankees will look to get back on track when they host the Chicago White Sox this weekend.
- Chicago White Sox (3-8)
- New York Yankees (5-7)
- 4/12, 4/13, 4/14 Start times: (7:05 P.M. 1:05 P.M. 1:05 P.M.) ET
- Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
After a six-game road trip that saw the Yankees sweep the Baltimore Orioles but then get swept by the Houston Astros, the team will return home to begin a nine-game homestand this weekend.
The first opponent to come to the Bronx will be the Chicago White Sox.
Last season the Yankees won the season series between the two clubs 5-2 including a sweep at Yankee Stadium which they will try to replicate this weekend.
Game one of the series will take place on Friday night, and then the final two games will be afternoon games on Saturday and Sunday.
Like the Yankees, the White Sox are off to a slow start in 2019 as they will enter play Friday at 3-8 and having lost five straight games.
Though the Southsiders re still in the midst of a lengthy rebuild they have plenty of young talent especially offensively that can make them a potentially dangerous opponent.
Here’s a look at how the teams will match-up on the mound this weekend.
Pitching Matchups
Friday (4/12)
Lucas Giolito (1-1, 5.73 ERA) vs. J.A. Happ (0-1, 6.48 ERA)
The series will open up with a match-up consisting of the young right-hander Lucas Giolito and veteran southpaw J.A. Happ.
Though the ERA is high Giolito unlike Happ has a strong start under his belt early on in 2019 as he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Royals back on March 31st.
As for Happ, he had two shaky starts both of which came against the Orioles. He will look to get on track against a White Sox team that’s current lineup is hitting a combined .301 against him.
With Severino potentially lost for the season, the Yankees need Happ to emerge as a front-line starting pitcher. He can begin to prove he can be just that with a quality performance against a team that has had his number of late.
Saturday (4/13)
Ivan Nova (0-1, 7.71 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday’s pitching match-up is full of storylines as former Yankee Ivan Nova returns to the Bronx to face CC Sabathia who will make his first start of 2019.
Nova pitched well on April 1st against the Indians giving up only one run in seven innings of work but did not make it out of the third inning of his last start against the Mariners who scored seven runs off the right-hander.
As for Sabathia, he will make his first start of his final season after starting 2019 on the injured list. Sabathia has had success against the current White Sox roster as they have hit just .196 against the lefty.
Sunday (4/14)
Carlos Rodón (1-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. TBD
The series will conclude Sunday with the White Sox sending their ace Carlos Rodón to the mound.
The lefty has been solid in his first three starts of 2019 with the highlight being his April 3rd start against the Indians that saw him pitch six scoreless innings and earn the win.
New York has yet to announce a starter, but it will likely be either Domingo German or Masahiro Tanaka.
Predictions
The Yankees badly need to win this series. They lost both of their first two home series of the season and are fresh off an embarrassing sweep.
Look for them to come home with a chip on their shoulder and get a much-needed sweep over a poor White Sox team.