The New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics continue
their four game set tonight on the west coast with the return of a Yankee and
an emergence of a Yankee killer on the mound. For the former the Yankees
welcome back CC Sabathia off the 15-day disabled list after he struggled with a
tight groin muscle while the Athletics counter with their ace Sonny Gray. This
is a homecoming of sorts for Sabathia who is a California-boy so presumably he
should be pumped to come off the disabled list and make the start tonight for
the Yankees.
Sabathia returns off the DL tonight after straining his left
ground and missing 15 days with the injury. Sabathia is a Vallejo, California
native and will presumably have his friends and family in the audience rooting
him on tonight in his return. Sabathia has made 15 starts inside the Oakland
County Coliseum in his career and has struggled a bit posting a career 4-7
record with a 5.44 ERA in 15 starts.
Gray has not had the start to the 2016 season that many
would have hoped for but with a pitcher with as much talent as the Oakland
right-hander has he can turn it around at any point. Gray is winless in his last
four starts and has a 5.84 ERA as he has struggled in each of his first eight
starts this season. Nine sounds so much better than eight, doesn’t it?
The game will be played at 9:35 pm ET inside of Oakland
County Coliseum and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. The Yankees
desperately need wins after dropping the ball in the Arizona series and the
team desperately needs them now. Every game is important and every game is
inching closer and closer to a must win as their gap in the AL East gets wider
and wider. No pressure CC but we need a vintage start from you tonight and a
little help from the offense. Go Yankees!
