Yankees vs Guardians Pick: Cleveland’s Ortiz Tries to Maintain Good String of Starts (Apr 23)

• Our Yankees vs Guardians pick analyzes the frequent MLB playoff rivals finishing their 3-game series in Cleveland
• Cleveland sends Luis Ortiz to the mound; New York responds with Carlos Rodon
• The Guardians righted themselves after a slow start
• New York is in 1st place in the AL East, just ahead of the Red Sox and Blue Jays

Several Yankees Bats Have Been Struggling Mightily

Aaron Judge’s numbers continue to astound. He is leading the majors in hits, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and more. While he is not carrying the team by himself, several key Yankees bats are not hitting.

Anthony Volpe is down around .220 as he endures a horrid slump. Jazz Chisholm is hitting for surprising power, but is batting well below .200. Austin Wells is also below .200.

Carlos Rodon takes the mound against Cleveland. The lefty rebounded in his last start against the Rays after three straight unsightly outings. He pitched 6 innings of 2-hit ball, gave up no runs, and struck out 9. He walked 4.

The Guardians’ Carlos Santana is 15 for 39 against Rodon. He has 2 home runs and 2 doubles. Jose Ramirez is 10 for 48 with 4 doubles and 1 triple. Bryan Rocchio is 1 for 3 with a home run.

Ortiz Has Found His Footing After a Terrible Start

Ortiz was a key Guardians acquisition in the offseason. In his first start against the Padres, he was ripped for 7 earned runs and 9 hits in 4.2 innings. Since then, he has pitched well. In 16.2 innings, he gave up 12 hits and 6 earned runs, winning 2 of 3 starts.

Paul Goldschmidt is 5 for 7 with a double against him. Austin Wells is 1 for 3 with a double.

Cleveland’s offense has been shaky. Santana is batting in the .220s and his OBP is far weaker than it’s been in the past. Steven Kwan is having an All-Star season with a 1.4 bWAR and a .900 OPS. Jose Ramirez is having his usual season with 5 homers, 13 RBIs, and an .863 OPS.

Yankees vs Guardians Pick: Cleveland Will Win Behind Ortiz

Rodon has been up-and-down so far this season and can lose his command. Ortiz has pitched well after that horrific first start, and the Yankees have too many struggling bats. Cleveland will take this afternoon’s tilt.