Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 4/10

For the first time this season, at least for me, we will be entertained with the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball presented by ESPN. Out the door are Curt Schilling and John Kruk and in their place are former Yankees and Reds third baseman Aaron Boone and Jessica Mendoza. As you know I didn't watch MLB's Opening Night because I was watching the Walking Dead finale, pee-pee pants city yet?, so tonight is my first Sunday experience with the duo. In the matchup the Yankees will send their ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound on normal rest to make his second start of the season while the Tigers counter with Justin Verlander.

Tanaka threw just 87 pitches in his first start of the season as he began the trend of Yankees pitchers going five innings plus or less (which CC Sabathia broke yesterday afternoon) in their starts this season. Tanaka went 5.2 innings on Opening Day against the Houston Astros allowing just two runs on four hits including that moon shot that Carlos Correa hit and complained of fatigue towards the end of the start. Was it the cold or was it the way New York handled and coddled him in spring training? Or is it something else entirely? We'll start to get that answer tonight in Detroit. 

Verlander made a great start in his first start of the season taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the powerful Miami Marlins. Verlander ended up giving up three hits in his final five batters of the contest including a two-run home run to Giancarlo Stanton but the start was still a successful one for Verlander. Justin Verlander hasn't beaten the Yankees since 2012 and hopefully that streak is still a thing after tonight's contest.

The game will be played at 8:35 pm ET inside Comerica Park and can be seen locally and nationally on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball program. I'll watch this over Fear The Walking Dead anytime so hopefully the team makes it worth it. Go Yankees!