New York Yankees: Phillies Series Preview/Predictions
Game Two
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees
TBD vs. J.A. Happ
Tuesday, August 4th, 6:05 pm
Game two will be interesting as the Yankees enter the game not knowing which J.A. Happ will show up. In Happ’s first full season with the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers hoped they were getting the Happ who had just gone 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 games with the Yankees in 2018.
Instead, they got the Happ who went 12-8 with a 4.91 ERA in 30 starts. 12-8 certainly isn’t a bad record, but allowing nearly five earned runs per game, simply will not fly and if that’s the case once again in 2020, the Yankees will really have to think about Happ’s future in the Bronx.
Happ has made one start so far this season, and it ended with him going only four innings, allowing four hits, two home runs, and four total earned runs with two strikeouts, and two walks. Not great at all, and the Yankees certainly hope they get a little more out of him as the season progresses.
The Phillies have yet to announce their starter for any game other than game one, but after starting Jake Arrieta in game one who is listed as their fourth starter, I believe they might just go to the top of the rotation and start Aaron Nola in game two.
In his lone start this season, Nola lasted 5.1 innings against the Marlins, allowing four runs on five hits, with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Not great, and even worse considering it was against the Marlins who won only 57 games in 2019, but Nola is typically better than that. In 2019 Nola went 12-7 with a 3.87 ERA while averaging JUST under six innings per game.
Prediction: Phillies win 7-5
J.A. Happ was horrible in his lone start this season, and I don’t believe that will change in game two. The Phillies have several bats that will feast on bad pitching, and if Happ throws one bad pitch, that could change the entire game just like that.
On the other side, if the Phillies do in fact start Nola, the Yankees will hope to get the bats moving against him just like the Marlins did, but they’ll need help from their pitcher J.A. Happ, for it to mean anything.
Ultimately, I think this will be the Yankees’ second loss of the season dropping their record to 8-2.