Yankees at Athletics
The New York Yankees have yet to lose four consecutive games this season but are in danger of doing just that when they continue their four-game series against the host Oakland Athletics on Friday. New York suffered a disheartening 10-inning loss Thursday, overcoming four deficits and taking a lead before falling to 1-3 on its seven-game California trip.
Gary Sanchez is swinging a hot bat for the Yankees, as he has gone 6-for-7 with five RBIs over his last two contests and recorded five multi-hit performances in his last seven games. The 24-year-old has been especially dangerous this month, belting seven of his 11 homers on the season and registering 21 of his 33 RBIs. Khris Davis was the hero for Oakland in the opener, delivering a two-run bloop single in the 10th inning as the Athletics halted their three-game slide with a roller-coaster 8-7 triumph. Davis extended his hitting streak to nine games with the single while Jed Lowrie and Chad Pinder collected three hits apiece as Oakland won for just the second time in eight contests.
TV: 9:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), NBCSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (5-2, 2.75 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (6-3, 3.67)
Severino improved to 3-0 over his last seven outings with a victory against Baltimore on Saturday, when he allowed just one run and two hits in seven innings. The 23-year-old Dominican has given up more than two runs only once during his unbeaten streak and fewer than two on five occasions. Severino, who is 2-0 with a 2.17 ERA in six turns on the road this season, yielded two runs over six frames of a no-decision on April 21, 2016 in his only career start versus Oakland.
Manaea is riding a five-start winning streak during which he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each outing while registering 32 strikeouts and seven walks over 32 innings. The 25-year-old native of Indiana's latest victory came on Saturday, when he gave up two runs over seven frames at Tampa Bay. Manaea, who is 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA in five home starts this year, is 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA in two career turns against the Yankees after scattering four hits over seven scoreless innings of a triumph at New York on May 26.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Athletics designated veteran Trevor Plouffe, who batted .214 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 58 games, for assignment and purchased the contract of fellow 3B Matt Chapman from Triple-A Nashville.
2. New York placed LHP CC Sabathia (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list, optioned Ronald Herrera to Double-A Trenton and recalled fellow RHPs Domingo German and Luis Cessa from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
3. Oakland dismissed pitching coach Curt Young and replaced him with bullpen coach Scott Emerson.