The Diamondbacks will make their first visit to new Yankee Stadium after the site shift in 2009. The trip always conjures memories of the 2001 World Series, although Yankee pitchers Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte and former D-back and current Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay are the only players from either team still active.
At 8-4, the D-backs are off to their best start since they were 9-3 in 2008.
Pitching matchups: Tuesday -- RHP Brandon McCarthy (0-1, 7.71 ERA) vs. RHP Ivan Nova (0-1, 7.71). Wednesday -- LHP Wade Miley (2-0, 2.13) vs. LHP C.C. Sabathia (2-1, 2.25). Thursday -- LHP Patrick Corbin (2-0, 1.50) vs. RHP Phil Hughes (0-2, 10.29).
Who’s hot for the D-backs: Miley and Corbin are the D-backs’ two hottest pitchers, with two quality starts apiece. Neither has allowed more than two runs in a game. ... Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .348 with five doubles, 10 RBIs and an OPS of 1.013. ... Martin Prado had an 11-game hitting streak snapped Sunday, and his 11 runs are tied for fourth in the league. ... J.J. Putz had a win and a save with two scoreless appearances over the weekend. ... Setup man David Hernandez has not given up a run in his six appearances, and he has eight strikeouts in six innings.
Who’s not: McCarthy has thrown a lot of strikes in his first two starts; next step, converting them to outs. McCarthy and catcher Miguel Montero met late last week to talk pitch selection after neither was satisfied in a 6-5 loss to Pittsburgh last Wednesday. ... Aaron Hill’s left hand injury has been a nuisance and could force him into more time off following an MRI on Monday.
Who’s hot for the Yankees: Kevin Youkilis is hitting .333 with two home runs and seven RBIs. ... All-Star Robinson Cano (.311) and reclamation projects Vernon Wells (.324) and Travis Hafner (.303) are tied for the team lead with three homers. ... Cano has 11 hits in his last 22 at-bats.
Who’s not: Phil Hughes, the Yankees’ first-round draft pick in 2004, has given up nine runs in his first two starts, going four and three innings, against Detroit and Baltimore. ... Even with Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera back for his farewell tour, the Yankees bullpen has a 5.19 ERA and has allowed a .309 opponents’ batting average.
Notes, quotes, odds and ends: D-backs third baseman Eric Chavez returns to the site of his revival last season, when he hit .281 with 16 homers and 37 RBIs in 278 at-bats in his second of two years with the Yankees. If Chavez does not start at third, he could be used as a DH against the two Yanks’ right-handed starters. ... The Yankees skipped Andy Pettitte's scheduled start Sunday and pushed him all the way back to Friday after he suffered back spasms in his last outing last week. ... The Yankees are 6-5 with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson on the disabled list.
