Detroit @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 13, 2010 ) NY Yankees 0, Detroit 6
The New York Yankees were baffled on Sunday by a pitcher whom they had never before faced. The Detroit Tigers are hoping Max Scherzer can produce similar results.
Scherzer makes his first career appearance against the Yankees on Monday when the Detroit Tigers open a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.
On Sunday, the Kansas City Royals earned a split of their four-game set against New York thanks to Bryan Bullington, who held the powerful Yankees lineup to a pair of singles over eight innings en route to his first major league victory. Billy Butler gave Bullington all the support he needed with an RBI single in the first inning as New York was shut out for the sixth time in 2010.
A.J. Burnett was superb for the Yankees, allowing just one run and four hits in eight innings for his first complete game of the campaign.
In recent years, the Yankees have struggled against pitchers with which they are unfamiliar. The Tigers hope the trend continues on Monday as Scherzer takes on New York for the first time in his three-year career.
Scherzer, who is in his first season with Detroit after beginning his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, has lost three of his last four decisions. The 26-year-old pitched well against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, allowing just two runs - one earned - and four hits over seven innings, but still suffered the loss in an 8-0 setback.
In 11 starts on the road this year, Scherzer is 1-6 with a 5.12 ERA. The right-hander posted his only win on April 18 at the Seattle Mariners, losing each of his last six decisions away from home.
The Yankees, who lost three of four at Detroit in May but have won 11 of their last 16 meetings in New York, counter with Javier Vazquez.
Vazquez is 0-1 in his last three outings. On Wednesday, the veteran right-hander did not figure in the decision of a 7-6 victory at the Texas Rangers, surrendering six runs and eight hits in just 4 1/3 innings.
The 34-year-old owns a 6-8 record and 4.36 ERA in 14 career starts against the Tigers. He yielded two runs and five hits over seven innings at Detroit on May 12 but took the loss in a 2-0 setback.
Vazquez will be making his ninth start and 10th appearance this season at Yankee Stadium, where he is 4-4 with a 4.89 ERA.
Several Tigers have fared well against Vazquez over their careers. Miguel Cabrera is 10-for-26 (.385) with three home runs and eight RBIs, while former Yankee Johnny Damon is hitting .333 (8-for-24) with two homers and five RBIs.
Detroit, which has won three of its last four games, posted just its third road victory in 16 tries on Sunday. Jhonny Peralta led the way for the Tigers in their 13-8 triumph over the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, hitting a pair of homers and driving in three runs as Detroit scored eight times over the final three innings.