Max Scherzer is enjoying his reign at the top of the MLB. The Detroit Tigers pitcher might not be able to get a handle on his contract extension negotiations, but he is having zero issues winning games as he seeks to become the pitcher to get 14 wins this season. Scherzer is looking for his sixth-straight win as the Tigers face off against the New York Yankees who are hunting for a wild card spot in the playoffs.
Scherzer is 13-3 this season with a 3.27 ERA. He is currently tied with five other pitchers for the most wins this season while ranking sixth in strikeouts with 167 on the year. His numbers are slightly lower than 2013 when he won the Cy Young Award, but he is still dominating and the Tigers are reaping the benefits. Against the Yankees, Scherzer has had zero issues. He is 6-1 with a 3.12 ERA in seven starts, while his team averages 6.92 runs per game against New York. Scherzer is getting plenty of help on the mound. The team averages 6.8 runs when the ace is pitching, which is certainly helping bail the pitcher out of tight situtations.
The Tigers' bats are as impressive as their pitching rotation. The team hit .323 while putting up 19 runs in a weekend series against Colorado. Victor Martinez is on a role. He put up four hits in that series while knocking out his 23rd home run of the year, leading the team. Miguel Cabrera is also doing his part, hitting .424 with 10 home runs in 16 games against the Yankees.
The Yankees will counter with Brandon McCarthy on the mound. He is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA with the Yankees. He needed help in his last start to the tune of 10 runs while he gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings. He has won his last two games in Detroit, giving up just one run while striking out 18. The Yankees are hopeful he can continue the trend.
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