New York Yankees vs. New York Mets: Jordan Montgomery vs. Michael Wacha

The first game of a grueling five-games-in-three-days slate is just about ready to get underway. The injury-riddled Yankees hope to stop the bleeding after getting swept in their last two series, and can make up a lot of ground on the division-leading Rays with a big series against the crosstown rivals.

Baseball has taken a backseat the last couple days, as teams have added their voices to the protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, as well as the larger discussion of racism, discrimination, and police brutality in America. The Mets’ response to the latest instance of police violence against the Black community stands in stark contrast to the silence on the part of the Yankees.

Jordan Montgomery is on the bump for the Bombers, and will look to build upon his last strong outing. Monty logged an impressive 3.2 innings against the Red Sox, giving up one run while striking out four, and looked to be cruising toward a deep outing before the rain had its say. On the season, the lefty is 2-1 with a 4.66 ERA, 4.34 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP in 19.1 innings.

He will square off against Michael Wacha, who is making his first start in 21 days after going on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Despite a strong Mets debut in which he surrendered a lone run, Wacha has given up at least four runs in each of his subsequent two appearances before going on the shelf. Overall, the tall righty is 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA, 4.65 FIP, and 1.643 WHIP in 14 innings.

The Yankees have made several surprising changes to the batting order, and the result looks like a lineup straight out of spring training. The biggest move without question is Estevan Florial, making his major league debut starting in center field. A huge congratulations to the one-time top prospect, who has seen his development interrupted by two consecutive injuries to his right hand.

In other news, Miguel Andújar steps in at third for Gio Urshela, who is currently listed as day-to-day with a bone spur in his elbow. Luke Voit gets half a game off as the DH, while Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner fill out the rest of the outfield.

The visitors will throw out perhaps their most dangerous lineup, minus Brandon Nimmo, who sits against the lefty Montgomery. If ever there was a time to root for an opponent, it would be nice to see Dominic Smith have a big day. His powerful words in response to the Jacob Blake shooting reflect how every American should be feeling right now.

How to watch:

Location: Yankee Stadium, New York, NY

First pitch: 4:05 p.m. EDT

TV broadcast: YES Network

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM

Online Stream: Fox Sports Go

For updates, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.