Yankees at Mariners
The New York Yankees have received offensive contributions from nearly every player who has put on the uniform this season, regardless of experience or star status. Mike Ford has been filling the bill of late, and he hopes to continue his recent surge when the Yankees visit the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series.
New York has had a plethora of injuries this year but hasn't missed a beat thanks to players such as Ford, who has gone 8-for-16 with four homers and six RBIs in six games during the team's current road trip. The 27-year-old first baseman accounted for two of the three shots belted in Monday's 5-4 victory by the Yankees, who extended their major-league record for most homers in a calendar month to 64. Gleyber Torres also went deep in the triumph as New York (86-47) moved one-half game ahead of Houston for the best record in the American League. Dylan Moore and Mallex Smith homered on Monday for the Mariners, who won six of their previous eight contests and will send Yusei Kikuchi to the mound against fellow Japanese native Masahiro Tanaka on Tuesday.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (9-7, 4.68 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Yusei Kikuchi (5-8, 5.19)
Tanaka was unable to win his third consecutive start on Thursday as he suffered the loss at Oakland after surrendering five runs and eight hits in six innings. The 30-year-old has yielded four or more runs in six of his last seven turns on the road, where he is 2-5 with a 6.58 ERA as opposed to 7-2 with a 3.26 mark at home. Tanaka has been masterful against Seattle in his career, going 7-0 with one complete game and a 2.10 ERA in nine starts - including a no-decision at home on May 7 in which he permitted two runs over 6 1/3 frames.
Kikuchi ended his eight-start winless streak on Aug. 18 at Toronto, where he registered eight strikeouts while tossing a two-hit shutout. The 28-year-old has alternated good and bad performances of late but has maintained his control, issuing only six walks over 33 frames in his last six turns. Kikuchi won his lone career start against the Yankees on May 8, allowing one run and three hits over 7 2/3 frames in New York.
WALK-OFFS
1. Torres had homered 10 times over his last 15 games and needs one RBI to surpass the 77 he registered as a rookie last season.
2. Seattle SS J.P. Crawford was hitless in four at-bats on Monday after going 10-for-24 during his six-game hitting streak while 3B Kyle Seager failed to record an RBI for the first time in six contests.
3. New York OF Aaron Judge has gone 8-for-20 during his five-game hitting streak and needs one home run to reach 100 for his career.