NY Yankees (0-0) at Cleveland (0-0)
When: Thursday, October 5th 2017
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
Time: 7:35 ET | TV: FOX Sports 1
Opening Odds: Cleveland -125/8.5
Open an Account at Bovada Sportsbook Now! Sign up at Bovada.lv to get a $250 Signup Bonus to bet MLB Baseball odds and props!
The teams with the two best bullpens in Baseball square-off in Game 1 of a five-game series when the Cleveland Indians host the New York Yankees on Thursday night. New York skipper Joe Girardi rode his bullpen as much as you possibly can on Tuesday as the Yankees knocked-off the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card game at home. Girardi got 26 outs from his bullpen after pulling starter Luis Severino with one out and three runs in in the first inning against the Twins, as Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman led the Yankees to an 8-4 victory. New York’s bullpen recorded 13 strikeouts Tuesday, which ties for the most all-time by a bullpen in a playoff game. Didi Gregorious and Aaron Judge provided the power with a three-run and two-run homer respectively. Cleveland used it’s bullpen last year to get to Game 7 of the World Series led by hard-throwing Andrew Miller. The Indians might have an even better team in 2017 after finishing the regular season with 33 wins in their last 37 games. Cleveland surprised some by choosing Trevor Bauer to start Game 1 over ace Corey Kluber, while New York is expected to go with Sonny Gray. Cleveland 2B/3B Jose Ramirez is hitting a sizzling .407 since September 1st, while Edwin Encarnacion led the club with 38 HRs and 107 RBI.
Pitchers: Yankees – Sonny Gray (10-12, 3.55 ERA) | Indians – Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19)
Gray hasn’t pitched as well as Yankee fans had hoped, going 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 starts after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics prior to the trade deadline. He struggled a lot in September, allowing nine home runs in 35.1 innings. Gray, who lost at Cleveland in his New York debut on August 3rd, was ripped for six runs on six hits over 4.2 innings in his final regular-season outing on Saturday against Toronto. Gray is 0-1 in two career postseason starts despite a 2.08 ERA.
Like his team, Bauer was almost unbeatable down the stretch, going 9-1 with a 2.42 ERA over his last 13 games (12 starts) and allowed two runs in 13 innings over his final two. Two of those 13 outings came against New York, and Bauer breezed to wins in both by scattering two runs over 13 innings and striking out 11. He’ll get the start over Kluber so that the Cy Young-candidate can come back on regular rest in a potential Game 5 or Game 1 of the ALCS. Bauer was 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA in five games (four starts) during the 2016 postseason including the infamous bloody finger game against the Blue Jays.
[ad id=’36449′]
Bauer has been pretty good, but he’s no Kluber and this is the game the Yankees must take advantage of. I feel that Gray will be on his game and take some pressure off the bullpen. Yankees bats will bust out against Bauer.
Pick: Yankees +120
BETTING TRENDS:
- Yankees are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. American League Central.
- Yankees are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Yankees are 6-1 in their last 7 during game 1 of a series.
- Yankees are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Yankees are 4-1 in their last 5 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Yankees are 20-6 in their last 26 games on grass.
- Yankees are 6-2 in their last 8 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Yankees are 19-7 in their last 26 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Yankees are 21-8 in their last 29 overall.
- Yankees are 5-2 in their last 7 Divisional Playoff road games.
- Yankees are 11-5 in their last 16 Divisional Playoff games.
- Yankees are 35-17 in their last 52 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Yankees are 2-6 in their last 8 playoff road games.
- Yankees are 1-5 in their last 6 playoff games.
- Yankees are 1-4 in Gray’s last 5 starts on grass.
- Yankees are 1-5 in Grays last 6 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Indians are 4-0 in their last 4 Divisional Playoff home games.
- Indians are 4-0 in their last 4 Divisional Playoff games.
- Indians are 7-1 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Indians are 7-1 in their last 8 games following an off day.
- Indians are 42-9 in their last 51 overall.
- Indians are 13-3 in their last 16 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Indians are 43-10 in their last 53 games following a win.
- Indians are 21-5 in their last 26 during game 1 of a series.
- Indians are 42-11 in their last 53 games on grass.
- Indians are 21-6 in their last 27 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Indians are 42-14 in their last 56 Thursday games.
- Indians are 39-13 in their last 52 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Indians are 19-7 in their last 26 vs. American League East.
- Indians are 37-14 in their last 51 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Indians are 38-16 in their last 54 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Indians are 35-16 in their last 51 home games.
- Indians are 35-16 in their last 51 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Indians are 6-0 in Bauer’s last 6 starts vs. American League East.
- Indians are 4-0 in Bauer’s last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Indians are 5-0 in Bauer’s last 5 Thursday starts.
- Indians are 4-0 in Bauer’s last 4 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Indians are 7-1 in Bauer’s last 8 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Indians are 4-1 in Bauer’s last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Indians are 7-2 in Bauer’s last 9 starts.
- Indians are 7-2 in Bauer’s last 9 starts on grass.
- Indians are 6-2 in Bauer’s last 8 home starts.
- Indians are 20-8 in Bauer’s last 28 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Indians are 5-2 in Bauer’s last 7 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 4-0 in Yankees last 4 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Under is 4-0 in Yankees last 4 Divisional Playoff games.
- Over is 5-1 in Yankees last 6 Thursday games.
- Over is 4-1 in Yankees last 5 games following an off day.
- Under is 4-1 in Yankees last 5 games following a win.
- Over is 9-3 in Yankees last 12 vs. American League Central.
- Over is 11-4-2 in Yankees last 17 playoff road games.
- Over is 8-3 in Yankees last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 8-3 in Yankees last 11 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-2 in Yankees last 7 on grass.
- Under is 5-2 in Yankees last 7 overall.
- Under is 7-3 in Yankees last 10 playoff games.
- Under is 7-3 in Yankees last 10 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Gray’s last 6 road starts.
- Under is 4-1 in Gray’s last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1 in Indians last 5 on grass.
- Under is 4-1 in Indians last 5 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Indians last 5 vs. American League East.
- Under is 11-3 in Indians last 14 playoff games.
- Under is 15-5-1 in Indians last 21 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Under is 15-5-2 in Indians last 22 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 8-3-2 in Indians last 13 playoff home games.
- Under is 13-5 in Indians last 18 games following a win.
- Under is 20-8-2 in Indians last 30 home games.
- Under is 10-4 in Indians last 14 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 12-5 in Indians last 17 Thursday games.
- Under is 25-12-3 in Indians last 40 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-1-2 in Bauer’s last 9 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-1 in Bauer’s last 6 starts on grass.
- Under is 5-1 in Bauer’s last 6 starts overall.
- Over is 5-1 in Bauer’s last 6 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 8-2-3 in Bauer’s last 13 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Bauer’s last 5 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 38-15-5 in Bauer’s last 58 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 7-3-1 in Bauer’s last 11 home starts.
- Under is 7-3-3 in Bauer’s last 13 starts vs. American League East.
- Over is 2-0-2 in Bauer’s last 4 home starts vs. Yankees.
- Under is 2-0-2 in Bauer’s last 4 starts vs. Yankees.
- Over is 9-3-2 in the last 14 meetings in Cleveland.
- Yankees are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings.
