The New York Yankees continue to search for answers on offense as they open a 10-game road trip against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Yankees look to renew offense against Phillies
The Yankees split a doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, although they scored in only two of 18 innings that day. New York lost the opener 5–3, allowing just six hits, and the nightcap led to a dull 2–0 triumph.
“We need to improve,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like I’ve said this a lot here in the last month. We know we need to play better offensively and consistently, night after night. We’re working to get there. To reach our peak, we need to get some guys to step up and be more consistent.”
New York continues to play without star outfielder Aaron Judge, who has been sidelined since May 31 with a broken right rib.
“It’s Aaron Judge, it’s a massive presence,” Boone said. “But again, he’s not there now. Look at these names. We have a lot of good names here, capable, and we have to do it a little better.”
The Phillies’ offense hasn’t been particularly impressive lately either, having managed just one run in three of six games since the All-Star break. Their bats showed some life in Wednesday’s 9-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Alec Bohm leading the way with a homer and three RBIs.
“Nothing about this series changes our thoughts,” said Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, whose team has lost two of three games to Los Angeles. “If we play well, we will do well.”
Philadelphia has played well with Jesus Luzardo on the mound, winning his last 10 starts. The left-hander allowed one run in five innings against the New York Mets on Saturday, his first start since the All-Star break.
“He threw a lot of pitches in those first two innings, and then he settled down and sped up after that,” Mattingly said.
Luzardo has struggled against New York in his career, going 0-3 with an 18.36 ERA in three appearances.
New York will give the ball to Will Warren, who made a cameo appearance in Wednesday’s doubleheader against Pittsburgh. The left-hander tossed two-thirds of an inning in the nightcap with one out, allowing one hit and one walk in a 16-pitch effort.
Warren will now make his first start since July 12, when he gave up one run in five innings against the Washington Nationals. He was originally scheduled to start against the Pirates on Tuesday before the game ended.
“To begin with, I feel like I’m playing smart and giving a little more than just the adrenaline pumped down by throwing as hard as I can in the ninth,” Warren said Wednesday.
The 27-year-old made two career starts against the Phillies. Each of them resulted in no decisions, and he has a 4.91 ERA in 11 innings against them.
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