Los Angeles @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 14, 2010 ) LA Angels 5, NY Yankees 3

All eyes will be on Phil Hughes on Thursday in the rubber game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

The New York Yankees' 23-year-old right-hander will be making his season debut against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after winning the fifth starter job over Joba Chamberlain in spring training.

Hughes has a 5.22 ERA as a starter in his career, but excelled last season in the bullpen. The Yankees believed he progressed so much last year that they penciled him in as the front runner for the fifth starter job prior to spring training - despite publicly calling it an open competition.
The hurler succeeded in relief because he was aggressive in the strike zone. As a starter in the past, Hughes has been tentative. He's attempted to paint corners instead of challenge hitters, and that has led to trouble. If Hughes can transfer his bullpen mindset to his starter's role, the results should improve.
Hughes features a two-seam fastball, big curve, cutter that he added last season and a changeup that he worked on in spring training. Yankees manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland believe his changeup will be the pitch that transforms Hughes from a struggling youngster into a bonafide big-league starter.
His first start comes against an Angels lineup that hasn't been scorching this season, but did put together 10 hits on Wednesday. The Angels, even when struggling, offer a good test for any pitcher because they feature veteran hitters with patience, intelligence and power. Hitters such as Hideki Matsui, Torii Hunter, Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales can work a pitcher over, just as they did Javier Vazquez on Wednesday.
If Hughes can turn in a quality start, it would alleviate many concerns about the back of the Yankees rotation. If he gets roughed up on the heels of Vazquez's two poor outings, the Yankees might begin to question if they made the right decisions this offseason.
It would help Hughes to relax if New York can score a couple runs early. Angels starter Scott Kazmir is making his season debut after a sore hamstring landed him on the disabled list to begin the season. The Yankees never have hit Kazmir very well. He is 6-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 15 games versus the Yankees, who have mustered only 72 hits off the lefty in 87 2/3 innings.