ALDS Gm2, NYY vs. KC: Carlos Rodón vs. Cole Ragans

Yesterday at 07:05 PM

It's a battle of lefties as the Yankees look to take a commanding 2-0 ALDS lead.

After a very narrow Game 1 win on Saturday, the Yankees can take a stranglehold on this ALDS matchup with another win over the Royals before heading down to Kauffman Stadium. Like the USSR after Lenin's death, it's a battle of the lefties and we'll see who ends up on top, although the Royals are arguably sending their best.

Cole Ragans will appear on quite a few Cy Young ballots this year, as the 26 year old put up a five-win season with a 3.14 ERA and 2.99 FIP. He's fresh off dominating the Astros in the Wild Card round, throwing six shutout innings and striking out nine without a walk, making him an intimidating opponent for a Yankee lineup that has struggled some against lefthanders. The Yankees own a 120 wRC+ against right handed pitching, tops in baseball, but just a 107 against southpaws. Interestingly enough they actually strike out less against LHP, but the contact quality falls as well.

The Yankees will hand the ball to Carlos Rodón, making his third appearance in the postseason. The first two, with the White Sox, are ones to forget, with Rodón carrying a 13.50 ERA albeit in just two-plus innings. He did have a strong start against the Royals in the Bronx almost exactly a month ago, pounding four-seam fastballs in more than half his pitches, neutralizing a contact-heavy KC lineup.

The Yankee lineup is mostly the same as Saturday's, with Alex Verdugo moved up to eighth and Jon Berti sliding in at first and hitting ninth. Hopefully Verdugo's been inspired by his slot at the bottom of the table and has another big game.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY

First pitch: 7:38 pm ET

TV broadcast: TBS

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9, WADO 1380

Online stream: HBO Max, MLB.tv (international only, not in Canada)

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