Yankees at Mariners
The New York Yankees attempt to conclude their nine-game road trip with a three-game sweep when they visit the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon for the finale of their series. New York began its trek on the wrong side of a three-game sweep in Oakland but is in position to record one of its own after outscoring Seattle 12-4 in winning the first two contests of the set.
Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner went deep in Tuesday's 7-0 triumph as the American League East-leading Yankees increased their record amount of homers in a calendar month to 66. Judge's blast was the 100th of his career and came in his 371st game, making him the third-fastest in major-league history to reach the plateau. DJ LeMahieu recorded a pair of singles en route to his third consecutive two-hit performance and fourth in five contests. J.P. Crawford singled on Tuesday, giving him a hit in seven of his last eight contests, as the Mariners had their hopes for a fifth striaight series win come to an end.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH James Paxton (10-6, 4.43 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Justus Sheffield (0-0, 6.43)
Paxton looks to finish with a perfect record in August after going 5-0 with a 3.56 ERA over his first five starts of the month. The 30-year-old Canadian is coming off a stellar road outing against the Los Angeles Angels in which he gave up two runs and five hits while registering 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Paxton, who spent the first six seasons of his career with Seattle, will be facing his former team for the first time.
Sheffield, who was acquired from New York in the deal that sent Paxton to the Bronx, will be making his second career start and fifth major-league appearance. The 23-year-old Tennessean started and worked four innings against Toronto in his second game with the Mariners on Friday, permitting three runs on seven hits and three walks. Sheffield also has pitched for Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma this season, going a combined 7-9 with a 4.13 ERA and 133 strikeouts over as many innings in 24 starts and one relief appearance.
WALK-OFFS
1. Judge is the fourth Yankee to reach the century mark in home runs this season, joining Gardner, Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez.
2. Seattle OF Keon Broxton was handed a two-game suspension for hitting an umpire with a batting glove in the series opener and he is appealing the penalty.
3. New York SS Gleyber Torres needs one RBI to surpass the total of 77 he registered as a rookie last season.