When & Where To Watch
Tonight: Coverage on YES and the YES App begins at 6:00 with Yankees Batting Practice Today
Tomorrow: YES and the YES App will have the Postgame Show following action on Prime, where coverage is going to start at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday: Coverage on YES and the YES App begins at 3:00 p.m. with Yankees Batting Practice Today
Return of the Ace
A big series between the Yankees and Orioles was made even bigger Monday when Aaron Boone announced that Gerrit Cole will make his season debut tomorrow! The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner has made his way back from right elbow inflammation, and after three rehab starts in the Minors, Cole is going to start Game 2 of this series opposite Cade Povich, a 24-year-old rookie making his third MLB start. The opener this evening will feature Nestor Cortes starting against 34-year-old Albert Suárez, who owns a 1.61 ERA over 44.1 innings this year, which is his first season in the Majors since 2017. Luis Gil will carry his AL-best 2.03 ERA into Thursday’s finale when he takes the ball against Cole Irvin.
Pinstriped Pulse
The 50-24 Yankees hold MLB’s best record and they have an edge of 1.5 games over Baltimore in the AL East. The series at hand marks the second of four on the schedule for the Yanks and Orioles this season. Aaron Judge leads the Majors in a host of categories including home runs (26), RBI (64), walks (57) and OPS (1.110). Juan Soto is second to Judge in walks (55) and OPS (1.025). Giancarlo Stanton is batting .381 with a couple of homers over his last five games. After two scoreless appearances during the Yankees’ last series in Boston, Michael Tonkin now has an ERA of 0.81 over 22.1 innings with the Yanks.
How ‘Bout That
What a return to Fenway Park for Alex Verdugo on Friday. Traded from Boston to the Yankees in December, Verdugo wasted no time reintroducing himself to the Red Sox faithful, kicking off a huge night by blasting a two-run homer on the very first pitch he saw. He ended up going 3-for-5 with four RBI in the victory, putting himself in rare company. In the storied history of the rivalry between the franchises, Verdugo became only the second player to have at least seven total bases and four RBI in their first game against the Red Sox as a member of the Yanks. The other? The great Roger Maris, who went 4-for-5 with a pair of homers on Opening Day of the 1960 season, his first with the Bronx Bombers after being acquired from the Athletics.
Know The Foe
At 47-24, Baltimore has the second-best record in the AL behind the Yankees. Gunnar Henderson leads the team with 22 home runs, second-most in the Majors to Judge’s 26. Adley Rutschman has 14 homers of his own while batting .289 with 53 RBI, both of which lead the team. Anthony Santander has a .308 average with eight home runs over his last 17 games. Closer Craig Kimbrel has gone 14 straight appearances without giving up an earned run, securing all eight of his save opportunities during that stretch. Having won three out of four games when these teams met at Camden Yards bridging the end of April and the beginning of May, Baltimore is one of only four clubs to win a series against the Yanks this season.
A New Partnership
YES & Willow by Cricbuzz, which offers more live, streaming, & on-demand cricket than any other sports service, have partnered on a deal to air seven matches featuring the defending Major League Cricket champion MI New York this upcoming MLC season. These matches will be available on both YES & the YES App, as well on Willow by Cricbuzz’s TV network & its streaming platform starting with the Friday, July 5 season-opener pitting MI New York against the 2023 runners-up Seattle Orcas. Led by elite West Indian batter Kieron Pollard, MI New York is gearing up to defend its inaugural title.
The Story Of My Number
A show featuring some of your favorite Yankees greats just wrapped its first season and is streaming on the YES App! Hosted by Gracie Cashman, The Story of My Number presented by New York Lottery highlights pinstriped icons talking about their lives on and off the field through the prism of numbers. Episodes featuring Aaron Boone, Tino Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Don Mattingly, Nick Swisher and CC Sabathia are available. Additionally on the YES App, other shows recently added include two editions of Home Plate New York – one featuring Harlem Globetrotters “Jet” Rivers and “Hot Shot” Swanson, which just dropped this morning, plus another featuring Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito and his agent Sean Stellato.