MLB Picks 8/18 – New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

MLB Picks 8/18 – New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The AL-East leading New York Yankees (73-51) face the Detroit Tigers (60-64) in the series rubber match tonight on ESPN. The game will be played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania as part of the Little League Classic. The first two games were played in Detroit and ended in shutouts with the Yankees winning 3-0 on Friday night and the Tigers winning 4-0 yesterday. The teams are squaring off for the sixth and final time tonight. New York has won four of the five meetings against Detroit this year, including sweeping a three-game set at Yankee Stadium in May. 

New York won the opener 3-0 behind a dominant pitching performance from reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and a mammoth homerun from superstar Aaron Judge. Cole stuck out eight over six innings in picking up his fourth win of the season. Judge’s 431-foot homer in the top of the eighth inning gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead. It was Judge’s MLB-leading 44th homer of the season.

Detroit avenged Friday night’s shutout loss by delivering a 4-0 shutout of their own yesterday. Rookie Keider Montero along with relievers Tyler Holton and Jason Foley combined on a four-hit shutout. Detroit did their damage early in the game as they scored all four runs across the first two innings. Second baseman Andy Ibanez connected on a two-run double in the bottom of the second inning that gave Detroit a 4-0 lead. First baseman Spencer Torkelson went 2-for-3 with a double and triple in his return to the majors. Torkelson – the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft – was sent down to Triple-A on June 2 after hitting .201 with four homers. 

Tonight’s starters are Marcus Stroman (8-6, 4.01 ERA, 87 K’s in 23 starts) for New York and All-Star Tarik Skubal (14-4, MLB-leading 2.53 ERA, 180 K’s in 24 starts) for Detroit. 

MLB Picks 8/18 – New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

GAME ODDS

Moneyline: New York +102,   Detroit -120

Run Line: New York -1.5 (+164),   Detroit +1.5 (-200)

Run Total: over 7.5 (-115)   under 7.5 (-105)  

GAME STORYLINES: NEW YORK

Last season the New York Yankees finished with a disappointing 82-80 record. It was their worst record since 1992 when they finished 76-86. The Yankees also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Recurring injuries to stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Nestor Cortes ruined any chance of sustained success in 2023. Not surprisingly, New York made big changes in the offseason.

The biggest offseason change for New York was the addition of 25-year-old superstar outfielder Juan Soto via trade from the San Diego Padres. The three-time All-Star and World Series champion Soto hit a career-high 35 homers with San Diego last season. New York also added outfielder Alex Verdugo and starting pitcher Marcus Stroman as free agents. 

The explosive duo of Juan Soto (.302, 34 HR, 87 RBI, 103 walks, 103 runs in 120 games) and superstar slugger Aaron Judge (.332, 44 HR, 111 RBI, 102 walks in 122 games) have carried the Yankees offensively this season. Soto is two round-trippers away from establishing a new career high. Judge is having an extraordinary year at the plate and is well on his way to winning a second AL MVP award in the last 3 seasons. Judge leads MLB in homers and RBI, and is second in batting average. Judge hit his 300th home run in a 10-2 win at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 14. He became the fastest player in MLB history to reach the 300-homer mark. Both players were voted in as starters for this year’s All-Star game. 

Despite the impeccable seasons from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, New York has hit a couple rough patches in the season due to an extended injury to fellow slugger Giancarlo Stanton (.218 and 20 homers in 82 games) and inconsistent production from everyone else in the lineup. New York was 51-24 in mid-June prior to Stanton’s first trip to the IL with a hamstring injury. 

The Yankees went 4-14 during a stretch in mid-June through early-July without the oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton. His absence exposed New York for not having much hitting outside of Judge and Soto. Stanton has been relatively healthy since returning to the lineup on July 29 which has allowed the Yankees to get back on track in terms of consistent play. New York currently owns the best record in the AL at 73-51 and lead the Baltimore Orioles by one game in the tough American League East.

MLB Picks 8/18 – New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

New York appeared to have addressed the depth issue when they traded for Miami Marlins speedster Jazz Chisom Jr. shortly before the July 30 trade deadline. The oft-injured Chisolm had been a fairly productive player in his three previous seasons with Miami when healthy. He got off to a torrid pace with the Yankees as he hit 4 homers in his first 3 games with the team. 

Unfortunately, Jazz Chisolm Jr. was bit by the injury bug again when he suffered a left elbow injury in a loss at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 12. It was feared that Chisolm could be lost for an extended period of time but the X-rays came back negative on his elbow. The Yankees still placed Chisolm on the 10-day injured list and are hoping rehab can heal the injury, instead of surgery. He’s eligible to return on Aug. 24. 

GAME STORYLINES: DETROIT

The Detroit Tigers are headed for an eighth straight losing season. They have not had a winning season since 2016. The losing seasons coincide with the losses of future Hall of Fame pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Scherzer left following the 2014 season and Verlander departed after the 2016 season. A big reason for Detroit’s futility in recent years is the lack of power in the lineup. Detroit has ranked at or near the bottom in just about every hitting statistic for several years now. 

Detroit made the bold move of signing two-time All-Star Javy Baez to a 6-year, $140 million deal prior to the 2022 season in hopes of boosting their fledgling offense. Baez hit 17 homers and drove in 67 runs in his first season with Detroit. Those were his lowest power numbers since 2016. He’s continued to struggle ever since as he’s hit a total of 15 homers since the beginning of the 2023 season. Baez is hitting .165 with 6 homers and 37 RBI through 78 games this season.

Despite the offensive futility, the sub .500 record and the massive contract owed to Javy Baez, the stellar pitching of All-Star Tarik Skubal has provided some respectability and hope for the future for Detroit. The 27-year-old ace is having a breakout campaign in his fourth MLB season. Skubal is currently 14-4 with a 2.53 ERA and 180 strikeouts across 24 starts. Skubal leads MLB in wins and ERA, and is second in strikeouts. Skubal’s 12 wins before the month of August was the most for a Tigers pitcher since Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello in 2014. 

MLB Picks 8/18 – New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

Tarik Skubal has the chance to strengthen his case for the AL Cy Young award tonight as he takes the mound against the AL-leading New York Yankees in front of a national television audience. Tonight, may be one of the few times that Skubal will be viewed by the masses this season. Skubal has at least 8 strikeouts in 6 of his last 7 starts. 

If Tarik Skubal takes home the American League Cy Young Award this season, he’ll be the first Detroit pitcher to win the honor since Max Scherzer in 2013.  

THE PICK: TIGERS (Moneyline)

Detroit has arguably the best pitcher in baseball taking mound tonight at home in front of a national TV audience. They’ve also won 5 of 6 heading into this one. I think Tarik Skubal delivers another masterful performance tonight against the Yankees. Take the Tigers on the moneyline!

MLB Picks 8/18 – New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers