This has been a season to forget for Felix Hernandez, who is en route to posting the highest ERA of his 13-year career. It has been especially bad for the former ace of the Seattle Mariners when he takes the bump on the road, as Hernandez has a 7.71 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .303 in his seven starts away from Safeco Field this season. Hernandez will get the start for the Mariners when they continue their three-game set against the New York Yankees in the Big Apple on Wednesday.
- The Yankees have hit 31 HRs in their 17 games during the month of June.
- The total has gone UNDER in the Yankees’ last 14 games.
- The Mariners are 2-8 SU and ATS in their last 10 games against the Yankees.
What is Wrong With King Felix?
It may seem like a simple excuse but Hernandez is getting up there. The righty is 32 years old and has been in the majors since 2005 – not to mention the massive amount of wear on the tires from an overreliance on his arm during his peak years. His velocity has been slowly deteriorating throughout his entire career while the spin rate on his pitches simply isn’t as good as it once was.
That is not to say Hernandez is a lost cause. Plenty of pitchers have reinvented themselves in the later years of their careers. However, Hernandez has either been incapable of this or unwilling to try. And that could lead to another rough outing Wednesday.
Yankees Could be Taking Hernandez Yard More Than Once
If you watch baseball even casually, you know that the Yankees own one of the best offenses in the majors. The Yanks – who sit in the top five in the MLB in runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage – have been absolutely mashing the ball recently. During the month of June, the Yankees are slashing .241/.308/.461 with 31 home runs in 17 games.
If you need a more recent example, the Yankees had no problem beating up the Seattle pitching staff in the series opener Tuesday. The Bronx Bombers hit four home runs – the seventh time this season they have hit at least four dingers in a game.
Rookie Loaisiga Gets the Start for the Yankees
Jonathan Loaisiga earned a second start with the big club after a solid first outing on Friday. The rookie pitched five innings of three-hit, no-run ball against the Rays in his first outing. Though he struggled at times with his control – six strikeouts and four walks in that start – he was never in any real trouble against the Rays.
It will be interesting to see how Loaisiga will fare in his second outing against a team that is much better at making contact. The M’s are fifth in the MLB in batting average – however, they do also have a terrible tendency to leave runners on base.
Can the Yankees Continue To Be A Ridiculous UNDER Bet?
There is no hotter bet in baseball than taking the UNDER in any Yankees game. The Bronx Bombers have failed to top the total in 14 consecutive games. Yes, New York’s offense is still mashing the baseball but the unheralded pitching staff has been untouchable during the UNDER streak.
The Yankees pitchers have a collective 1.90 ERA with 151 strikeouts to 33 walks in their past 14 games. The staff is also allowing 5.7 hits per game – with an average of only 2.0 of those being extra-base hits.
