Yankees Must Win Game Two at Home
The New York Yankees were able to hold off the Kansas City Royals in game one of the ALDS, winning 6-5 in an absolute thriller in the Bronx Saturday night.
The Yankees are throwing Carlos Rodon out there Monday night against the Royals, who will be starting Cole Ragans in what figured to be a battle of the lefties. Ragans has been much better than Rodon for a majority of the season, but this is playoff baseball, all the regular season numbers go out the window. This is a MUST win for the Bronx Bombers if they want to keep home-field advantage for the remainder of the series.
After this game the Yankees will go to Kansas City for game three and if necessary, a game four before returning home for a potential series-deciding game five in New York. The Yankees need to win tonight and improve their chances of avoiding that series-deciding game five, where all the pressure will undoubtedly be on them.
What are the keys for the Yankees to win game two? What should happen and what will happen are two different things. With the tough lefty Ragans on the mound, it would make sense for the Yankees to go with a right-handed heavy lineup meaning sitting lefty Alex Verdugo and starting the switch hitter Jasson Dominguez. The Yankees can start Austin Wells but can’t bat him 4th in the order. If the Yankees can get to Ragans early and find a way to manufacture runs against him they may be able to take a stronghold of the series.
Rodon must give the Yankees some length and avoid having to go to the bullpen before the 6th inning. Rodon makes a ton of money and it’s time for him to show why he is worth all the money the Yankees are paying him. If Rodon can pitch into the 6th, they will be in a prime position to win this baseball game.