New York Yankees vs. Colorado Rockies: J.A. Happ vs. Kyle Freeland

After taking three games out of four against the Rays, the Yankees welcome the Colorado Rockies to town for a three-game series this weekend. The savage Yankees currently have an eight-game lead in the AL East and could tack on a few more in the win column since the Rockies are currently tied for last place in the NL West and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Tonight, the Yankees will send J.A. Happ to start the game. Happ had a good but not great performance last Saturday against the Blue Jays. He brought his ERA back down below 5.00, which I guess can be considered comforting considering his struggles this year. Happ hasn’t completed six full innings since June 6th, so hopefully, he can keep the Rockies and their team-wide 85 wRC+ in check tonight.

With Kyle Freeland on the hill for the Rockies, the Savages could feast. Freeland owns a 7.39 ERA and that’s due to his inability to keep the ball in the ballpark this season. He’s given up 2.27 HR/9 and has a HR/FB rate at 20%, which is just unreal. There’s some serious pop in the lineup tonight, and the temperature is sky high, so if the ball gets in the air, chances are it’s going out.

Even with Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner on the bench tonight, the lineup still looks pretty solid. Here’s a look:

The Yankees will be without Aaron Boone tonight, as he’ll serve his one-game suspension for making contact with the home plate umpire during his ejection yesterday. He’ll likely be watching on WPIX, MLB.TV, fubo.tv, or listening on WFAN. First pitch is at 7:05 PM EST.