The Yankees and Cubs meet on Tuesday night in a matchup of two of the league’s most interesting franchises. The Yankees will get a third look at Masahiro Tanaka tonight while the Cubs will face him for the first time. New York hopes that he can shake his early-inning struggles and dominate beginning with the first pitch. The Cubs will try to get to Tanaka early in hopes of walking away with a win. We like the Yankees at home over the Cubbies.
Tanaka looking to solve early-inning issues
Masahiro Tanaka is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in his first two Major League starts after signing a mega deal with the Yankees in the off-season. He has dominated opponents so far, but only after the first two innings. Tanaka allowed a home run to the first batter he faced in his MLB debut, but has recorded 18 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched. He has walked just one batter so far. The Yankees are 1-1 in Tanaka’s two starts so far.
Cubs trying to find some sort of rhythm
Chicago has once again opened up the season with a losing record. They enter tonight’s game with a 4-8 record and two straight losses. The Cubs send Jason Hammel to the mound. Hammel is 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA so far this season and has performed the best out of all the Cubs starters. The only way we see the Cubs winning this game is the fact that the Yankees are incredibly banged up right now from top to bottom. Chicago has just two road wins this year.
Over at BetOnline.ag the oddsmakers like the Yankees and Tanaka in this interleague contest. With Tanaka on the mound and the injuries to the Yankees lineup, we will bet 10 percent of our bankroll on the Yanks to grab the win with the UNDER 8 total runs scored at -105 on Tuesday night.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza.
Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race.
Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."