Yankees at Tigers
The New York Yankees found their offensive rhythm to record a sweep over the weekend, but their bats will be put to the test when the club opens a four-game series against the host Detroit Tigers on Monday. The Yankees outscored Tampa Bay 19-6 in their three-game series to even their season mark after 12 games, while the Tigers breezed to 9-1 rout of the Chicago White Sox on Sunday to take two of three from their AL Central rival.
Yoenis Cespedes showed a glimpse of why he won the Home Run Derby in each of the last two years by belting his first career grand slam before adding a two-run shot for a personal-best six RBIs in the series finale. Miguel Cabrera has hit safely in eight of his last nine games overall and has done well versus Monday starter CC Sabathia, going 10-for-29 with two homers and 12 RBIs. New York's Chase Headley sputtered out of the gate to begin the season, but has eight hits and five runs scored in his last six contests. Headley joined Mark Teixeira by driving in two runs in the Yankees' 5-3 victory over the Rays on Sunday.
TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Fox Sports Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (0-2, 5.58 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Alfredo Simon (2-0, 2.03)
Sabathia allowed four earned runs for the second straight start, falling for the second time despite carrying an early 15-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season. The 34-year-old hopes to rebound and notch his first victory in nearly a calendar year (April 24) when he faces Detroit, against which he scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings in his last meeting. Sabathia, who was limited to just eight starts last season due to a right knee injury, has held Cespedes (0-for-8, three strikeouts), Ian Kinsler (4-for-23, .174) and Victor Martinez (6-for-28, .214) in check.
After yielding three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win in an 8-4 victory over Cleveland on April 10, Simon simply was dominant in his next start. The 23-year-old Dominican permitted just a pair of singles and did not walk a batter over eight innings in Detroit's 1-0 triumph over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Simon has struggled mightily against New York, posting an 0-3 mark with a 5.25 ERA in seven career appearances - four starts - while allowing 19 runs on 26 hits in 24 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus noted that Martinez's ailing left knee isn't due to his offseason meniscus surgery. "What's bothering him is not in the area of the surgery," Ausmus said. "It's at the top of the knee."
2. New York RF Carlos Beltran is expected to return on Monday after a two-game absence due to a cold.
3. Tigers C Alex Avila is mired in an 0-for-14 stretch in his last seven games, but did have the game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning to give his team a 3-2 victory over the Yankees in their last meeting (Aug. 28).