Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners 4/16

Why does it seem that even if the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners played in a one-game series that Felix Hernandez would take the mound for that one game? It’s not done on purpose, the Mariners manager doesn’t adjust his pitching staff just for the man they call King Felix to face the Yankees it just seems like the Baseball Gods want to see New York and King Felix go head-to-head and they get their wish once again this afternoon in the Bronx. The Seattle Mariners will send Hernandez to the mound in the Bronx to face off with the Yankees starter CC Sabathia.

Sabathia was the first Yankee to finish six innings in a start and the fifth Yankees pitcher to start a game for the team. While the Yankees rotation has been a bit better the second time around Sabathia will still look to anchor the rotation and give New York some innings while saving some wear and tear on the bullpen. Believe it or not it was Sabathia, not Masahiro Tanaka or Michael Pineda, who led the team in innings pitched in 2015. Sabathia just has to make sure those are meaningful and effective innings if he can.

Hernandez is still the Mariners ace heading into the 2016 season and is still a bona fide Yankees killer on the mound, whether his starts come in the Bronx or inside of Safeco Field. Hernandez is 9-6 career against the Yankees with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts and has a 5-1 record with a 1.38 ERA in eight starts at the new Yankee Stadium where the game goes down later this afternoon. Not a good set of stats if you’re a Yankees fan but there is a reason you play the games, anything can happen. Make it happen.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB Network if you’re out of the market. Of course the game can also be seen from anywhere on any device with MLB TV.

Tough times are head Yankees family but we have to keep on cheering. Go Yankees!