New York Yankees vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: CC Sabathia vs. Zack Greinke

Tonight the Yankees begin their final leg of this West Coast trip, a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite having half the team on the injured list, the Yankees are somehow hotter than they’ve been all season. They’re fresh off three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and won nine of their last 10 games.

All eyes should be on CC Sabathia tonight. The left-hander is just three strikeouts away from 3,000 for his career, a number that almost assuredly guarantees him a spot in the Hall of Fame. Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens are the only two pitchers to eclipse 3,000 career K’s and not make the Hall of Fame.

The Yankees won the last time Sabathia took the mound, but it wasn’t because of the big lefty. He went five innings and surrendered five runs, four earned. He also gave up three homers and none of them were off the bat of Mike Trout. It was definitely a clunker from Sabathia, but he still owns a 2.40 ERA in three starts this season.

Opposite Sabathia is the ace of the Arizona staff, Zack Greinke. At 35 years old, one might think he would start slowing down, but his numbers are still right in line with his career averages. After a poor season debut, Greinke’s been pretty much lights out. His WHIP, K/9, BB/9, and K/BB rates haven’t been this good since 2015. Plus, he’s added an eephus pitch this season, which ought to be fun to watch if it comes out tonight.

Unsurprisingly, the Yankees are giving both DJ LeMahieu and Giovanny Urshela another day off today. LeMahieu is day-to-day with right knee inflammation, and Coley Harvey indicated earlier the Yankees might rest him through the off day on Thursday. After getting hit on the hand on Sunday, Urshela is reportedly feeling better and hasn’t encountered any difficulties while taking swings in the cage. He is available off the bench tonight.

First pitch is slated for 9:40 EST and can be seen on the YES Network, and streamed on Fox Sports Go or MLB.tv (for out-of-market viewers). You can also listen along on WFAN or WADO.