Don’t look now, but there’s no hotter team in all of baseball than the New York Yankees. After starting the season 7-6, they have now won each of their last 10 ball games – giving them the best record in all of baseball at 17-6.
True to their nickname, the Bombers have been blasting plenty of home runs this season. They have clubbed a whopping 21 long balls during their current 10-game winning streak and lead all of baseball with 32 total homers on the season. Anthony Rizzo leads all of baseball with his nine long balls on the season, while Aaron Judge is nipping at his heels with eight to lead the charge.
It hasn’t just been the bats carrying the load though. During this impressive streak, Yankees starting pitchers have combined to post a 2.77 ERA. Jordan Montgomery – who allowed two runs over five innings on Monday night – is the only member of the starting rotation that hasn’t tallied a victory during the streak. Gerrit Cole has won twice, while Nestor Cortes Jr., Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon have each secured one win. The bullpen has been responsible for the other five – with Clay Holmes, Michael King, Clarke Schmidt and Miguel Castro (2) getting in on the fun.
As is often the case in these types of streaks, it seems as if there’s a new hero stepping up every night to further the cause for the team. On Monday night, that man was Gleyber Torres. Torres opened the scoring in the contest with a two-run blast off of Ross Stripling in the fourth inning. Then, after Giancarlo Stanton led off the ninth inning with a single – and pinch-runner Tim Locastro swiped second base – Torres came through with a two-out go-ahead RBI single off of Yimi Garcia to put the Yankees ahead to stay.
Then, with Aroldis Chapman being unavailable after collecting saves each of the previous two nights, Chad Green stepped up and worked a scoreless ninth inning against the Blue Jays to earn his first save of the season.
They’re now just over halfway to achieving the longest consecutive winning streak in franchise history – a 19-win stretch from June 29 - July 17 during the 1941 season. If the Yankees are going to inch closer to that historic milestone on Tuesday, they’ll have to go through one of the top young hurlers in all of baseball to do so – Alec Manoah.
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
Dylan Cease - 7 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 11 K, 33% CSW, 11 swinging strikes
Dylan Cease dazzled yet again in Monday afternoon’s victory over the Angels -- racking up a season-high 11 strikeouts over seven shutout innings. The right-hander allowed just one hit -- a leadoff double to Taylor Ward in the fourth inning - and did not walk a batter. Cease threw 64 of his 93 pitches for strikes, generated 11 swings and misses and posted a CSW of 33 percent. He has been nothing short of spectacular through his first five starts of the season, compiling a 2.48 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 39/10 K/BB ratio over 29 frames. He’ll look to keep the good times rolling when he takes on the Red Sox on Sunday morning for the debut of MLB baseball on NBC and Peacock.
Steven Matz - 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 23% CSW, 11 swinging strikes
Matz won himself an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel against Zack Greinke and the Royals on Monday afternoon. He scattered just four hits – and didn’t walk a batter – while firing 65 of his 94 pitches for strikes. Now 3-1 on the season, he’ll carry a 4.56 ERA and 1.44 WHIP into Saturday’s tough matchup against the Giants in San Francisco.
Jake Odorizzi - 6 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 18% CSW, 6 swinging strikes
Maybe it was smoke and mirrors, as the underlying metrics don’t look great after Monday’s victory over the Mariners, but Jake Odorizzi fired 6 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. The right-hander generated just six swinging strikes on the night and posted an unfathomably-low 18 percent CSW. He’s proven to be a viable mixed league option in the past, so there’s no reason to think he can’t do it again in the future.
Hitters with an EDGE
David Peralta - 3-for-4, HR (3), 3 RBI, R
Peralta paced the Diamondbacks offensive attack in a hard-fought victory over Pablo Lopez and the Marlins on Monday. He crushed a 411-foot two-run bomb off of Lopez in the first inning to give the Diamondbacks an early lead they would never relinquish. He tacked on an RBI single in the fifth for good measure. Even with the three hits though, he’s still slashing just .227/.294/.413 with three long balls and nine RBI on the season.
Travis d’Arnaud - 3-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
The hard-hitting backstop had a nice night at the dish in Monday’s victory over the Mets. He smacked a game-tying RBI double off of Chris Bassitt in the sixth inning, then tacked on a two-run double off of Trevor May in the eighth that extended the Braves lead to 5-2. He’s off to an outstanding start at the plate, slashing .333/.354/.508 with a pair of homers and 11 RBI through his first 16 contests.
Yandy Diaz- 2-for-5, HR (2), 2 R, RBI
Diaz opened Monday’s game against the Athletics with a bang – crushing a 407-foot homer off of Daulton Jefferies. He also singled and scored on an RBI single by Wander Franco in the third inning. With the two-hit attack, Diaz is slashing a robust .306/.442/.435 with a pair of homers and five RBI. He’s seeing increased action at first base with Ji-Man Choi on the IL and is probably worth a look in deeper mixed leagues until he starts to cool off.
EDGE Priority Pickup
Bruce Zimmermann, SP, Baltimore Orioles – Available in 84% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.
Perhaps it’s just the stigma of pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, but it’s about time that fantasy managers start to put some respect on Bruce Zimmermann’s name. The 27-year-old southpaw has been dominant through his first four starts on the season – registering a minuscule 0.93 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 21/6 K/BB ratio over 19 1/3 innings. Tuesday’s matchup against the Twins is absolutely worth streaming, and you just may have a quality mixed league arm that you can use for the remainder of the season.
Closing Time
Jhoan Duran vs. Orioles - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K (1st save)
Jhoan Duran SZN officially began on Monday night as the 24-year-old right hander recorded his first career save – retiring the side in order in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead against the O’s. Emilio Pagan worked the eighth inning in this one – but needed 27 pitches to do so – leading many to speculate that Rocco Baldelli had planned to let him get the final six outs. Duran himself seemed to echo that sentiment, telling reporters after the game that he thought Pagan was going to work two innings and didn’t expect to hear his name called. To his credit though, he added, “Every time that opportunity presents itself and they give me a chance, I’m going to be ready for it”. Maybe it won’t happen just yet, but he’s clearly the most dominant arm in the Twins bullpen and deserves a chance to run with the ninth-inning gig.
Liam Hendriks vs. Angels - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K (5th save)
Now this is the Liam Hendriks that fantasy managers were expecting to get when drafting him in the second round. Hendriks came on throwing smoke in this one – hitting as high as 99.8 mph with his heater – while striking out Taylor Ward, Brandon Marsh and Mike Trout in succession to end the ballgame. He certainly looked to be healthy and back to his old form in his one. While the ratios aren’t pretty, the 15/3 K/BB ratio through 9 1/3 innings is a good indicator that he’s going to be just fine.
Chad Green vs. Blue Jays - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (1st save)
Green did a tremendous job in the ninth inning on Monday – retiring the Blue Jays in order, including strikeouts of Alejandro Kirk and Santiago Espinal. He was only in that situation though, because closer Aroldis Chapman was unavailable after recording saves himself on each of the past two nights. Green may be the next man up, but unless injury strikes there’s no reason to anticipate him getting many save opportunities.
Giovanny Gallegos vs. Royals - 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K (5th save)
Appearing in a game for the first time since last Monday – and doing so on the day after Ryan Helsley struck out four and recorded his first save with two perfect innings – Gallegos made his triumphant return to the diamond and re-staked his name to the closer’s gig in St. Louis. He did allow a two-out single to Carlos Santana, but was able to battle back and get Hunter Dozier on a swinging third strike to end it. Being weighed down by runs that should have been unearned, Gallegos now sports a 5.63 ERA and 1.38 WHIP on the season. He still looks to have the closer’s gig – or at least the larger share of it – but things could always change quickly with another blown save.
Ian Kennedy vs. Marlins - 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K (2nd save)
As expected, it was Kennedy once again that got called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning with Mark Melancon (COVID-19 IL) on the shelf. He didn’t make things easy in this one – a one-out single to Miguel Rojas and a two-out walk to Jazz Chisholm Jr., but was able to get Jon Berti on a pop out to first base to end it. He’ll have utility in mixed leagues for as long as Melancon is out.
Rafael Montero vs. Mariners - 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K (2nd save)
Just as many had speculated, it was Hector Neris working the eighth inning for the Astros in this one before turning the ball over to Rafael Montero in the ninth. He made things pretty interesting – allowing a one-out single to Ty France and a walk to Jesse Winker before getting Eugenio Suarez to hit into a game-ending double play. Ryan Pressly (knee) began a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, so Montero’s hold on the ninth inning is likely to evaporate before the week is through.
Tuesday’s Matchup of the Day
There is a plethora of stellar pitching matchups on tap for Tuesday. We get to see Kyle Wright, Alec Manoah, Joe Ryan, Carlos Carrasco, Glenn Otto and Paul Blackburn among others. Road Tyler Mahle takes on Brandon Woodruff. Mike Clevinger makes his long-awaited season debut, and there’s a chance that Ryan Yarbrough does as well.
Despite all of that excitement though, the best matchup of the game comes in the last game on the slate.
Giants southpaw Carlos Rodon will look to improve to 4-0 on the season, carrying with him a stellar 1.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 38/8 K/BB ratio over 23 innings through his first four starts. It’ll be no easy task though taking on the vaunted Dodgers lineup. If he continues to dominate in this start, the early Cy Young Award chatter will get a bit louder for Rodon.
Julio Urias will take the hill on the other side. He has been no slouch either, posting a 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 15/8 K/BB mark through his first 18 innings on the season. He made five starts against the Giants during the 2021 season – posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 33/3 K/BB ratio over 29 1/3 innings.
American League Quick Hits: Sonny Gray (hamstring) struck out five over three scoreless innings in a minor league rehab start at Class-A Fort Myers on Sunday. He’s tentatively expected to return to the Twins rotation on Friday. … Shohei Ohtani (groin) was held out of the Angels lineup on Monday, though his injury issue is believed to be minor and he’s considered day-to-day. … Willie Calhoun expressed his desire to be traded after being demoted to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday. … Ryan Pressly (knee) began a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday. … Alexander Wells (elbow) is expected to miss 8-12 weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 UCL strain. … Joe Kelly (biceps) threw a scoreless inning in his first appearances on his minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. … Domingo German (shoulder) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session as he works his way back from a shoulder impingement. … The Orioles designated Kelvin Gutierrez for assignment. … Andrew Vaughn missed his third straight game with a right hand contusion. … Matt Manning (shoulder) and Casey Mize (elbow) are each slated to throw bullpen sessions this week. … Gabriel Arias is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a metacarpal fracture in his right hand. … The Red Sox released veteran left-hander Derek Holland… The Twins placed Kyle Garlick on the 10-day IL with a right calf strain. … Trey Mancini missed his third straight game due to rib soreness. … Kyle Lewis (knee) will begin a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma this week. … Hyun-Jin Ryu (forearm) will make a minor league rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday. … Joey Gallo sat out his second straight game with groin tightness. He’s considered day-to-day. … The Astros activated Jose Altuve (hamstring) from the injured list… Twins manager Rocco Baldelli noted that Miguel Sano’s knee could require surgery. … Danny Jansen (oblique) took live batting practice on Monday. … Wander Franco (hamstring) returned to the Rays lineup on Monday… Cavan Biggio (COVID-19) has resumed baseball activities.
Zack Greinke allowed just one run over six innings in a tough-luck loss against the Cardinals. … Luis Robert went 3-for-4 and scored a run as the White Sox topped the Angels. … Jose Miranda went 0-for-4 in his big league debut against the Orioles. … Tyler Wells allowed just one run on four hits over five innings in a no-decision against the Twins. … Chris Paddack fired 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the O’s to earn his first victory of the season. … Jeremy Pena clubbed a two-run homer – his fifth of the season – as the Astros triumphed over the Mariners. … Yordan Alvarez smacked his seventh homer in that victory as well. … Marco Gonzales logged a quality start in a loss to the Astros in his return to the Mariners rotation. … Drew Rasmussen allowed just one run over five innings in a victory over the Athletics. ... Manuel Margot went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI to lead the charge there.
National League Quick Hits: The Brewers activated Luis Urias (quad) from the 10-day injured list. … Tommy Edman (hip) is expected to return to the Cardinals lineup on Tuesday. … Anthony Alford elected free agency after refusing an outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. … The Cubs placed Ethan Roberts on the 10-day IL with right shoulder inflammation. … The Padres signed 37-year-old right-hander Yusmeiro Petit to a minor league contract. … Joey Wendle was held out of the Marlins lineup on Monday due to general soreness. … Yoan Lopez was given a three-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Kyle Schwarber on Sunday night. Mets manager Buck Showalter received a one-game ban. … David Peterson will return from Triple-A to start one half of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Braves. … Trevor May will undergo another MRI on his injured triceps after admitting after the game that he’s still not 100 percent and that the injury is still bothering him and impacts how he’s throwing.
Paul Goldschmidt crushed a solo homer that single-handedly defeated the Royals on Monday. … Austin Riley went 2-for-4 and hit his seventh homer of the season as the Braves topped the Mets. … Mark Canha belted his first home run of the season in a losing effort there. … Max Fried fanned six over six innings of two-run baseball to beat the Mets. … Chris Bassitt fanned eight over seven innings in a losing effort. … Jesus Aguilar went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs in a loss to the Diamondbacks. … Zac Gallen fanned five over 6 1/3 innings of two-run baseball to beat the Marlins.
