The New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics will square off in the third game of their four-game series on Wednesday night, with both teams looking to secure at least a series split. The Yankees won the second game of the series on Tuesday night, 4-3, while the Athletics won the first game, 2-0, on Monday. The Yankees have struggled offensively this season, with the trio of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Anthony Rizzo hitting a combined .213 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs after combining to hit 198 homers the previous two seasons. However, the Yankees got a spark from their middle of the order in the first inning of Tuesday’s game, as Stanton hit a two-run double and Rizzo followed with a two-run homer. The Athletics, on the other hand, have been encouraged by the lack of late-inning hiccups in New York. Oakland, which arrived in New York after being outscored 22-7 while being swept by the Cleveland Guardians in a three-game series, earned the 2-0 win Monday when starter JP Sears and relievers Lucas Erceg and Mason Miller combined to hold the Yankees to three hits. The Athletics bullpen allowed eight runs (six earned) over eight innings in the three losses to the Guardians, but they have been much better in the first two games of this series. Clarke Schmidt (1-0, 3.15 ERA) is slated to start for the Yankees against Joe Boyle (1-3, 7.23) in a battle of right-handers. Schmidt didn’t factor into the decision last Friday, when he allowed one run through 5 1/3 innings in the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He is 2-1 with a 5.17 ERA in three career starts against the Athletics. Boyle took the loss last Friday after giving up seven runs over six innings as the Athletics fell 10-2 to the Guardians. He has never opposed the Yankees.
Yankees, Athletics Aim for Series Split as Middle of Lineup Struggles Linger
