Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners 7/17

Welcome back ladies and gentleman, the second half of the Major League Baseball season is set to begin tonight with a matchup between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners inside Yankee Stadium. The Yankees come off the All-Star break in first place in the American League East Division and will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking to keep that lead healthy. Meanwhile the Seattle Mariners are in the midst of a struggle in the American League West Division and are likely sending Mike Montgomery to the mound tonight looking to keep them in the Wildcard discussion. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Tanaka will lead the Yankees charge after the All-Star break looking to build on his last start against the Oakland Athletics. Tanaka snapped a four game winless streak in that start allowing just two runs and two hits in 7.2 IP against the A’s. The Yankees need Tanaka to be the ace they paid for tonight against a tough Mariners offense.

• Montgomery has had a great start to his major league career this season posting a 4-3 record with a 2.29 ERA and has thrown back-to-back shutouts entering this start. Montgomery shut out the Kansas City Royals and the San Diego Padres before the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hit the rookie around a bit collecting eight hits and five runs in five innings of work before the break.

The Yankees are home for two more games with the Seattle Cano’s in what should be another big series for both clubs. Both teams expect to be in the playoffs discussion when the calendar turns to September and games like these three this weekend in the Bronx can go a long way to that. Playoff berths cannot necessarily be clinched in July but they sure can be lost in July but I don’t think the Yankees will have to worry about falling into any sort of trap tonight inside Yankee Stadium, let’s hope not anyway. Go Yankees!