New York @ Atlanta preview
Truist Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2021 ) NY Yankees 5, Atlanta 1
The New York Yankees will shoot for their 11th straight win, a height they haven't reached in 36 years, when they finish a two-game series in Atlanta on Tuesday.
New York beat the Braves 5-1 on Monday, ending Atlanta's nine-game winning streak. The Yankees now have their seventh 10-game winning streak since producing an 11-game run late in the 1985 season.
It was a positive start to the Yankees' nine-game, 10-day road trip that will head to the West Coast for a four-game series against the Oakland A's and three against the Los Angeles Angels.
Giancarlo Stanton continued his torrid hitting in the opener against the Braves with a double, a homer and three RBIs. He has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games and is batting .329 (23-for-70) during that streak with five home runs and 18 RBIs.
"He's a big dude," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "If he gets a piece of it, he has a chance to hit it out."
New York's Aaron Judge was 2-for-4 on Monday to extend his on-base streak to 16 games. Judge is batting .321 (18-for-56) with 11 runs, five homers and 14 RBIs during that span.
"Hopefully that's what we can start to do more and more -- the weight of the lineup, the quality of the at-bats up and down," New York manager Aaron Boone said. "You're not always going to break through the first time or the second time in a given game, but the more we can have those quality at-bats time and time again, you give yourself a chance to break through and have a big inning."
The pitching matchup for Tuesday features New York left-hander Andrew Heaney (8-8, 5.51 ERA) against veteran Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton (12-4, 3.47).
Heaney will make his 23rd start of the season and fifth with the Yankees since being acquired from the Angels. His latest outing came on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox, when he allowed one run on two hits over a season-high-tying seven innings. He has never faced the Braves.
Morton made his most recent start on Wednesday at Miami, where he beat the Marlins after giving up two runs over six innings. He struck out nine, matching his second-highest total of the season. Morton has not allowed more than three runs in any of his past eight starts.
In 11 career starts against the Yankees, Morton is 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA. He faced New York in the Bronx on April 20, when he ended up with a no-decision after allowing one run in six innings.
Atlanta will oppose a left-handed starter for the second night in a row. They had a 10-game winning streak against lefties snapped on Monday when Jordan Montgomery beat them with five innings of one-run ball. New York then got four shutout innings from its bullpen.
The Yankees were encouraged by the perfect ninth inning thrown by Aroldis Chapman, who missed 12 games with elbow inflammation before returning on Wednesday. Chapman looked sharp in a non-save situation on Monday, throwing strikes on eight of his 11 pitches. Chapman needs one save to become the 31st pitcher to reach the 300 milestone.
--Field Level Media