Both the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees need some wins. The Yankees have fallen out of first place in the American League East as the Toronto Blue Jays continue to dominate. Their offense has gone cold while pitching injuries are an issue. The Braves are not making the playoffs this season, but they are trying to end on a high note as they continue to rebuild for the future. Now the team get a rare three-game series at Turner Field.
Saturday's matchup features Luis Severino taking the mound, a pitcher the Yankees need to be successful. Right now the team is dealing with a lot of issues with their starting rotation. CC Sabathia is on the disabled list following a knee injury. He is avoiding surgery, but he is still dealing with pain. Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda have both been yanked early in their recent starts. Masahiro Tanaka is the most reliable arm unless Severino can step up to the challenge and prove the Yankees avoided trading him for a reason.
Severino has been as good as advertised recently. The pitcher is 1-2 on the season, but that is due to a lack of run support being given to him. The pitcher has a 2.74 ERA through four starts with the Yankees since being called up. In his recent outing against the Cleveland Indians, he gave up three hits and one run in six innings pitched. He has last at least six innings in his last three starting while sacrificing three runs or less in each game. That is the type of production the Yankees need while players like Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan struggle. Against the weak offense of the Braves, Severino could thrive.
The Braves continue to be inconsistent as ever at the plate. As the team struggles, they will put Matt Wisler on the mound who was acquired from the San Diego Padres. The pitcher has a 5.443 ERA on the season while being 5-4. He was rocked in his last start against the Chicago Cubs, giving up six hits and seven runs in just over two innings. He has failed to go deep into games while struggling with big plays. The Braves need him back on track to get a win.
