Instead of playing a double header today, the Yankees will lose one of their 2 remaining off days when the rainout from April originally scheduled for Saturday finally gets played September 8th.
In Scranton, Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos will pitch the top and bottom of a double header today. One of them, or Hector Noesi, could have made a spot start, pushing Garcia back to game one against Boston tomorrow, giving the Yankees a chance to win the game while sparing us the sight of AJ Burnett giving up 9 runs in the second inning in Fenway on Thursday. Instead, Garcia pitches tonight.
Instead, Freddy pitches tonight against 30 year old Alfredo Simon, a 6'6" righty with a mid-90s fastball that leaves the park faster than it gets to the plate. This is a guy who has been so lousy that he hasn't been able to hold onto a job with the Orioles' pitching staff in the last 4 seasons. He's a guy so lousy that even AJ Burnett feels bad for him. He's a guy so lousy that I'm penciling him in for 8 innings of 1 run ball.
Of course, in the spirit of optimism, I'm counting on Freddy for a complete game shutout. Prediction: Yankees win 1-0.
How's that for MFY bias?
Bring on the birds.