The Sports Xchange
The New York Yankees hope to scramble back toward the top of the American League East and the Milwaukee Brewers aim to fortify their lead in the National League Central as the two enter a three-game interleague set Friday at Yankee Stadium.
The teams’ final games prior to the All-Star break pit a New York club that has dropped 16 of 22 against a Milwaukee unit that is soaring.
The Brewers have won four straight and seven of eight, and they increased their divisional lead to a season-high 4 1/2 games with an 11-2 rout of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
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Meanwhile, the Yankees’ slide, which included a 7-6 loss to Toronto on Wednesday in which setup man Dellin Betances walked four in the decisive eight inning, has brought them from four games up in the division to 3 1/2 games back of Boston.
“You can turn it around and get hot and win a lot of games like we were before,” manager Joe Girardi told reporters. Rookie Jordan Montgomery will try to get New York pointed in the right direction as he gets the start opposite Junior Guerra for the Brewers.
TV: 6:05 p.m., MLB Network, FSN Wisconsin
Pitching matchup
Brewers RH Junior Guerra (1-3, 4.93 ERA) vs. Yankees LH Jordan Montgomery (6-4, 3.62)
Guerra has been knocked out after four innings in each of his last two starts, allowing 12 runs and 16 hits with six walks in that span. He gave up four home runs two starts ago in Cincinnati and another in a loss to Miami on Sunday to give opponents 10 long balls in Guerra’s last six appearances. The 32-year-old, who has never faced the Yankees, has a 6.19 ERA on the road in 2017.
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Montgomery has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts but he’s surrendered seven homers over a span of five outings, including two in a no-decision at Houston on Saturday. The 24-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA over his last three home starts while limiting opponents to 12 hits in 19 1/3 innings. Montgomery has allowed four earned runs in 12 2/3 frames over two interleague outings.
Walk-offs
1. Yankees RF Aaron Judge slugged his 29th home run Wednesday, tying Joe DiMaggio’s team rookie record (1936).
2. Milwaukee placed INF Eric Sogard (ankle) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled INF Yadiel Rivera from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
3. Brewers RF Domingo Santana is 11-for-21 with seven runs scored and six RBIs over his last six games.
PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Brewers 5.
