NFL
By: Billy Lewis
The New York Yankees are not off to a great start 2018. Through the first 16 games, the Yankees sit at 8-8. There were lofty expectations on the team entering the season and they have yet to find their footing.
They are in the midst of a ten game homestand. The Yankees just split two games against the lowly Marlins. Naturally, you would have liked to see the Yankees take care of business against Miami. They did that in Game 1 winning 12-1 but fell 9-1 in the series finale.
The Bronx Bombers will now finish their homestand with two consecutive four-game series. They will begin their second four-game set of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees started the season in Toronto and split the four games going 2-2. After the Blue Jays the Yankees will welcome in the Minnesota Twins. It will be the first time these two teams play each other since last year’s Wild Card Game.
The Blue Jays are off to a fast start this season going 12-5. That puts them in second place in the AL East, behind the 15-2 Boston Red Sox. It’s going to be important for the Yankees to take care of business against the Blue Jays. Not only are they struggling this year but are looking up at the Blue Jays in the early standings.
After the Blue Jay series, the Yankees will really have a chance to take off. They have seemed to own the Twins, in fact, the Yankees are 90-33 against the Twins since 2002 (including playoff games). The Yankees will kick off the Blue Jay series with CC Sabathia going against Aaron Sanchez. The Bombers need Sabathia to be the stopper he was last year and get them back on the winning track.
I want to see the Yankees go 6-2 to end this homestand. It would move them to 14-10 before kicking off a west coast trip. No matter how you look at it, it’s imperative the Yankees do not lose one of these two series. At worst I’d want to see them split a series. It would also be nice to see the bullpen pitch to its potential and Giancarlo Stanton to start turning things around. Yes, it’s early so there’s no reason to panic but the sooner they can find their winning ways, the better.
