The best news for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees on Sunday is a forecast of clouds with minimal rain.
That’s when, after a pair of rainouts, the Rangers and Yankees finally will begin their three-game series with a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
Both teams will be playing their first game since Wednesday, and most players probably never made it to Yankee Stadium due to the heavy rains that have pounded the New York area the past two days, resulting in two early postponements.
Friday’s game was postponed about eight hours before first pitch and Saturday’s game was postponed about four hours before first pitch, extending the series into a makeup game on Monday afternoon after two Sunday.
Both teams come into the doubleheader playing well of late.
Texas started with nine losses in 11 games but is on a four-game winning streak after completing a two-game sweep in Philadelphia when Brad Miller hit a two-run single in the 10th inning on Wednesday for a 2-1 Texas win.
“It’s not ideal,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward told reporters Friday about the break. “Three days off in a row is just kind of tough. But we just have to deal with it. (The Yankees) have to deal with it.”
New York is 11-1 in its past 12 contests. The Yankees saw their winning streak snapped with a 2-1 loss in Toronto when it left the bases loaded in the ninth inning on Wednesday.
“Winning 11 in a row, that’s no small task,” Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing.”
The rain is projected to be gone by the time the doubleheader starts but in its place are clouds and wind with a temperature around 50 degrees.
Whatever the conditions, Gerrit Cole (2-0, 3.00 ERA) will pitch in the opener of the doubleheader and bids for a third straight scoreless start. He enters with a 12 2/3 inning scoreless streak after getting wins over the Cleveland Guardians on April 24 and Kansas City Royals on April 30.
Against Cleveland, he allowed four hits and fanned nine in 6 2/3 innings of a 10-2 win. In Kansas City, he allowed five hits and struck out six in six innings of a 3-0 win.
“He was able to make some pitches,” New York catcher Jose Trevino said after the game in Kansas City. “That’s what he does. He’s an ace for a reason. He comes out and makes pitches when he needs to and he did that tonight.”
Before the two outings, Cole lasted a career-low 1 2/3 innings April 19 in Detroit and saw his ERA rise to 6.35 before it plummeted during the winning streak.
Cole is 5-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rangers.
Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 2.88), who allowed two runs in five innings and took a no-decision in Monday’s 3-2 win at Toronto, is expected to start Game 2.
Texas pitchers own a 2.42 ERA in the past 12 games and Dane Dunning (1-1, 3.81) is expected to start Game 1. Dunning has yet to allow more than three runs in a game this season and picked up his first win April 30 when he allowed one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings in a 3-1 win over Atlanta.
Glenn Otto (1-0, 2.89 ERA) will start the second game after he was projected to start Friday and again on Saturday before those games were postponed.
The Rangers acquired Otto in the deal for Joey Gallo in July and the right-hander is 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA since joining the Rangers. His most recent outing came against the Houston Astros on April 27, when he allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media