The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers conclude the MLB weekend with the Sunday Night Game of the Week at Muncy Bank Ballpark, located in Historic Bowman Field, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Yankees are fiercely competing with the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East lead, while the Tigers come into this series after a surprising sweep against the Seattle Mariners. On Sunday, the pitching duel will feature Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman (8-6, 4.01) against Tigers’ ace lefty Tarik Skubal (14-4, 2.53). The action begins at 7:10 pm EST.
Yankees Turn to Stroman
The New York Yankees approach the final five weeks of the season in a strong position to make a playoff return after missing the postseason last year. They are currently in a tight race with the Baltimore Orioles for the top spot in the AL East Division, with the possibility of claiming the top wildcard spot as well. Recently, the Yankees took two out of three games from the Chicago White Sox. They secured the series opener on Friday night with a 3-0 victory, highlighted by Aaron Judge’s 301st career home run, but faced a setback on Saturday, losing 4-0.
The Yankees will send Marcus Stroman to the mound for the series finale against the Tigers. In his first year with the Yankees, Stroman has experienced a mix of ups and downs, currently holding an 8-6 record with a 4.01 ERA and a WHIP of 1.40. He has given up 118 hits across 121.1 innings and allowed 18 home runs. This season, he has often pitched to contact, leading to a high number of walks—52—while striking out only 87 batters. In his last outing, an 8-7 victory against the Rangers, Stroman allowed four hits and one run over five innings but struck out just one batter.
Key Injuries: RF Oscar Gonzalez, RP Sean Boyle, SP Clark Schmidt, RP Ian Hamilton, 1B Anthony Rizzo, IF/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr., and SP Cody Poteet are out.
Tigers Rely on Skubal for Series Finale
The Detroit Tigers are on a quest to regain competitiveness as they look ahead to the 2024 season. They have not reached the American League Playoffs since 2014, undergoing multiple roster changes in search of the right combination. Prior to this weekend’s series, the Tigers achieved a surprising three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners, extending their win streak to four games and bringing them within four games of a .500 record. After tying the series on Saturday with a 4-0 victory, in which Keider Montero pitched five shutout innings, the Tigers head to Williamsport with renewed confidence.
Detroit will put their faith in ace Tarik Skubal as he takes the mound against the Yankees. Skubal is in contention for the AL Cy Young Award, leading the league in several categories, including strikeouts, wins, ERA, and WAR. His season record stands at 14-4 with 24 starts, featuring 18 quality outings. He has allowed 109 hits over 149.1 innings while racking up an impressive 180 strikeouts against only 29 walks. In his most recent start, Skubal earned a victory in a dominant 15-1 performance against the Mariners, pitching six innings and allowing just three hits and one run while striking out nine batters.
Key Injuries: LF Riley Greene, SP Casey Mize, SP Reese Olson, RF Wenceel Perez, and RP Angel De Jesus are out.
Best Bets for New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
It’s challenging to bet against Skubal this season, especially when matched against a pitcher like Stroman, who tends to pitch to contact. While Skubal accumulates strikeouts and limits balls in play, Stroman relies on his defense and well-placed hits to control the game. Recent performances indicate that Stroman has struggled, leaving him little room for error when facing Skubal. The Tigers’ ace has enjoyed solid run support lately, and with an impressive ERA and WHIP of 0.93, he often secures wins without needing a significant offensive output. The Yankees, bolstered by the recent addition of Chisholm Jr., will feel the impact of his injury, limiting their offensive strength beyond stars like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Expect Skubal to dominate on Sunday, paving the way for a Tigers victory.
