The New York Yankees made their splashes at the trade deadline mainly with the bats they acquired, but they entered Sunday on a stroll pitching roll. The Yankees had allowed three runs or fewer in each of the previous seven games started by anyone other than Andrew Heaney, and will look to hold down the Royals on Monday.
Jameson Taillon had a tough start to his road season, allowing four runs or more in his first five starts away from Yankee Stadium. But since the start of July, he has allowed four earned runs and six total runs in his four road starts. In this span, the Yankees are 3-1 with Taillon giving up two home runs across 25 ²/₃ innings with a 1.40 ERA.
The Royals look to young Carlos Hernandez, whose first two starts of the season did not go as planned with seven runs and six walks allowed across 6 ²/₃ innings, but he comes in having allowed just one run and three walks in 11 innings in a pair of wins against the Chicago White Sox.
The Royals’ bullpen has had its ups and downs but entered the week ranked 10th in MLB in ERA since the All-Star break while the Yankees are fifth in overall ERA since the break.
With both teams in the bottom nine in runs per game (Yankees 4.2, Royals 4.1), both lineups will get barbecued on Monday in Kansas City.
The Play: Yankees-Royals total, Under 9.5 runs.