Some Pre-Game Food For Thought For The Yankee Hitters

It's been a bit of an up-and-down start for the Yankee offense so far.  They've worked counts, drawn a lot of walks, and have done damage in short bursts in their first 8 games.  They've also had the same RISP struggles that plagued them at times last season and during last year's ALDS loss to Detroit.  They're 3-4-5 hitters, while still being pitched to with the respect that elite hitters of their caliber deserve, have combined for just 1 HR and 3 RBI, the sole dinger coming from A-Rod on Friday.  Suffice it to say that the offense is nowhere near clicking on all cylinders right now.

Well, if anything can help start to change that it's tonight's starting pitcher for the Angels, Jerome Williams.   He's not a bad pitcher by any stretch of the imagination, but something tells me that he could be walking into the lion's den tonight.  A righty pitching in Yankee Stadium with a severe home/road split, who struggles to keep the ball in the park on the road and likes to throw a lot of 2-strike fastballs is the type of pitcher this lineup can feed on at home and could be just the medicine the Yankee offense needs to start feeling better.  With the positive things they have been doing at the plate, they should put themselves into a lot of situations where they can tee off tonight.

So screw the history against pitchers you've never faced before, boys.  You're good hitters and you're getting a guy tonight whose history suggests he's going to give you good stuff to hit.  Don't waste it.

P.S.- Props to TYA colleague Mike Eder for the dynamite PITCHF/x scouting work on the Angels' staff this weekend.