Predicting the Outcome of Each of the Yankees’ Final 10 Pennant Race Games
September 24, 2012 · Colin Tansits · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Baseball fans, it doesn’t get much better than this.
We are a week away from October and the pennant races are in full swing.
For the Yankees, their one-game lead on Baltimore seems almost nonexistent. Last week, neither team lost a game (it’s kind of ridiculous).
So less than two weeks before the end of the season, here’s what Yankees fans can look forward to as the Bombers try to hold onto their division lead into October.
September 24-26 vs. Minnesota
Andy Pettitte will be starting the first game to begin the Yankees’ three-game series against Minnesota.
The Twins are sitting if fourth place right now in the American League Central Division, with a record of 64-89.
Minnesota has struggled this year with pitching. They have only one pitcher, Scott Diamond, with more than 10 wins.
This season, the Twins have given up 792 runs while scoring only 673.
Joe Mauer leads an offense that is ranked 13th of 14 in the American League in home runs (126) and strikeouts (1,004).
Pettitte will start on Monday, and Phil Hughes will follow him up with a start on Tuesday. Presumably, CC Sabathia will follow Hughes and wrap up the series on Wednesday.
The Yankees are coming into this series winning seven of their last eight games, and with Baltimore only one game back, every game is important for the Bombers.
With Minnesota’s struggling pitching staff, I see the Yankees taking two out of three from the Twins.
Predictions
- September 24 – New York 4, Minnesota 3
- September 25 – New York 1, Minnesota 7
- September 26 – New York 5, Minnesota 0
September 27-30 vs. Toronto
The Blue Jays are sitting at the bottom of the American League East, 21.5 games behind the Yankees.
Toronto has struggled with both hitting and pitching this season. They are ranked 11 of 14 in the American League in hits (1,242) and batting average (.243).
Although the Blue Jays have struggled this year, they still pose a threat to New York. Toronto has nothing to lose in this series, and I’m sure they would love to spoil the Yankees’ playoff hopes.
Edwin Encarnacion leads the team with 40 home runs and 103 runs batted in, and Jose Bautista has had a somewhat quiet year with only 27 home runs.
But don’t let Toronto fool you. They have some powerful bats and can beat teams with the long ball.
The Yankees will most likely go with David Phelps, Hiroki Kuroda, Pettitte and Hughes to start in this series.
This can be a trap series for the Yankees and might be instrumental in keeping the Bombers from winning the pennant.
The Blue Jays will come out strong in this series and take three of four games against New York.
Predictions
- September 27 – New York 1, Toronto 4
- September 28 – New York 8, Toronto 3
- September 29 – New York 4, Toronto 7
- September 30 – New York 0, Toronto 3
October 1-3 vs. Boston
It doesn’t get much better than the end of the season in the Bronx coming with Boston traveling to town during a tight pennant race.
But Boston isn’t going to be anywhere near the playoffs this season.
After a tumultuous season in Beantown, Bobby Valentine’s team will be rolling into New York with nothing to look forward to but a couch to watch the playoffs on.
It looks like this could spell disaster for the Yankees. The rival Red Sox have nothing to lose and would love nothing more than to keep New York from winning the American League East pennant.
That won’t be the story.
The Yankees will be coming home from their last regular season road trip, and these will be must-win games.
Sabathia will most likely be on the mound, along with Phelps and Kuroda.
Boston will be ready to pack it up and get ready for next year early in this series.
The Bronx Bombers will finish the season in style with a series sweep, and they’ll win the pennant.
Predictions
- October 1 – New York 5, Boston 0
- October 2 – New York 9, Boston 6
- October 3 – New York 4, Boston 1
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