New York Yankees @ Oakland Athletics: Domingo Germán vs. JP Sears

The Yankees might just have found a new nadir of the season mustering just one run against the MLB-worst Oakland pitching staff to drop the series opener. There’s little time to lick their wounds as they had right back out to try to rectify their wrongs. More disciplined at-bats would be a good place to start tonight.

Domingo Germán is coming off one of the worst starts from anywhere around baseball this season — 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits including four home runs in just 3.1 innings against Seattle. It continues the Jekyll and Hyde nature of his season — he has six starts giving up four or more runs while in the other eight he’s held opponents to two or fewer. His fastball in particular got hammered by the Mariners and he’ll need to take more care in executing it to his spots. In 14 starts, Germán is 4-5 with a 5.10 ERA (81 ERA+), 5.29 FIP, and 69 strikeouts in 72.1 innings.

JP Sears faces the Yankees for the second time this season and his former employers will be hoping for a repeat of the first encounter — five runs on six hits in 5.1 innings. He’s looked a little better of late going seven innings in each of his last two starts. Relative to 2022 with the Yankees and A’s, Sears has better strikeout and walk rates but is getting killed by the long ball, giving up just shy of two per nine. In 15 starts, Sears is 1-5 with a 4.10 ERA (96 ERA+), 5.04 FIP, and 80 strikeouts in 83.1 innings.

The Yankees make three changes to the lineup that was largely silenced last night. Gleyber Torres comes in to DH, meaning we have a rare Giancarlo Stanton sighting in an outfield that is not considered small. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kyle Higashioka also return to the lineup, so Jake Bauers, Billy McKinney, and Jose Trevino all sit. Anthony Volpe added three hits last night as he’s beginning to show signs of life at the end of an otherwise horrid June.

Yankees pitching held the Athletics lineup to just two runs last night, but even that was enough to surpass their own anemic offense. They still make three changes, bringing in Aledmys Díaz, Carlos Pérez, and Jonah Bride for Tyler Wade, JJ Bleday, and Jace Peterson.

How to watch

Location: Oakland Coliseum — Oakland, CA

First pitch: 9:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES – NYY / NBCSCA - OAK

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv

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