Ny Yankees vs Cleveland Guardians Picks and Predictions August 22nd 2024

Thursday’s matchup between the Guardians and Yankees is set to get started at 1:05 PM ET from Yankee Stadium in New York, NY. The Guardians are starting Gavin Williams, while the Yankees have Gerrit Cole on the mound. New York is currently favored on the money line, and the over/under line is at 8 runs.

The Guardians are +143 on the money line, while the Yankees are 1st in the AL East with a record of 74-53. Cleveland is 1st in the AL Central with a record of 73-53. YES will be televising Thursday’s game, and the forecast for the game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 60s.

Gavin Williams gets the start for the Guardians today as he faces the Yankees on the road. So far this season, he has made nine starts and two of them have been quality starts. Williams’ record for the season is 2-5, and he most recently took the loss against the Brewers, giving up five earned runs in four innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. Williams’ ERA for the season is 5.02, along with a WHIP of 1.42. Opponents are batting .260 off Williams this season.

The Guardians offense has been led by José Ramírez and Josh Naylor, who have combined for 59 home runs this season. Ramírez’s 101 RBIs are the 2nd most in the league, and he is also batting .274. Naylor is batting just .240, but his 27 homers are the 10th most in the MLB right now. However, both players have struggled of late, with each going just 2/20 in their last five games.

As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. This season, they are batting .238 and have the league’s 12th best home run total. Cleveland comes into the game with a collective batting average of just .238, and their team BABIP of .27 is the worst in the league right now.

Gerrit Cole is coming off a strong outing against the Tigers in which he didn’t allow a run. In the August 16th start, he went six innings, gave up four hits, and issued two walks. Cole finished with eight strikeouts in the outing. Looking back further, he has finished with a no-decision in three straight starts. Cole’s ERA for the season is 4.15, along with a record of 4-2. Opponents are batting .258 off Cole this season. So far, he has made three quality starts and is averaging 10.38 strikeouts per nine innings.

Heading into today’s game, the Yankees are the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. They have been even better on the road, putting up 5.4 runs per game. New York’s offense has been especially good at drawing walks and getting on base, as they lead the league in OBP and walks. The Yankees also have the league’s top OPS and are 2nd in home runs.

Yankees fans have been treated to a lot of home runs this season, as Aaron Judge’s 47 homers lead the league and Juan Soto is 4th in the league with 36. Judge also comes into the game on a nine-game hitting streak and has gone 13/31 in his last eight games, with five homers. Soto has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 6/26 with six homers in his last eight games.

The Cleveland Guardians are feeling the heat as they struggle to contain the offensive might of the New York Yankees. As they gear up for the decisive game of a three-game series, the Guardians are desperate to find a way to keep their slim AL Central lead from slipping away. With back-to-back home runs by Juan Soto and Aaron Judge powering the Yankees to victory on Wednesday, Cleveland is searching for answers.

Yankees’ Power Duo Dominates

Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have been unstoppable in this series, driving in 12 of New York’s 13 runs over the past two games. On Wednesday, the Yankees bounced back from a tough extra-inning loss the night before to secure a commanding 8-1 win, with Soto and Judge leading the charge.

Juan Soto: Soto continues to flex his power, smashing a two-run homer in the first inning and adding a three-run double in the third. With a career-high 36 home runs, including eight in his last nine games, Soto is proving to be an invaluable asset for the Yankees as they push to stay atop the AL East.

Aaron Judge: Judge is once again chasing a 60-home run season, blasting his 46th and 47th homers on Wednesday. The reigning AL MVP is on fire, hitting .471 over a nine-game hitting streak, and he currently leads the majors in home runs. His recent surge has been a key factor in driving the Yankees’ offense.

Guardians’ Offensive Struggles

The Guardians, who once held a comfortable six-game lead in the AL Central, are now watching that advantage slip away. With just six wins in their last 17 games, Cleveland is grappling with inconsistency, particularly at the plate.

In Wednesday’s loss, the Guardians managed only four hits and no walks, with just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position. This lack of production is becoming a troubling trend, as they’ve scored two runs or fewer in three of their last four games. Key players like Steven Kwan, Lane Thomas, and Jose Ramirez went a combined 0-for-10, highlighting the team’s current offensive woes.

Pivotal Pitching Matchup

The series finale features a crucial pitching showdown between New York’s Gerrit Cole and Cleveland’s Gavin Williams, with both teams needing a strong outing to secure the win.

Gerrit Cole: The Yankees’ ace is on the brink of a career milestone, needing just one more win to reach 150. Cole has been in stellar form recently, allowing two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. Coming off a six-inning shutout performance against the Detroit Tigers, Cole will look to continue his dominance against the Guardians, whom he has a 6-2 record against with a 3.07 ERA in 10 career regular-season starts.

Gavin Williams: Williams, a promising young pitcher for the Guardians, has had an up-and-down season. After a solid start against Minnesota, he struggled in his last outing, giving up five runs in four innings against Milwaukee. Facing the Yankees for the first time, Williams will need to elevate his game to give Cleveland a fighting chance against one of the league’s most formidable offenses.

Series Implications

This series carries significant weight for both teams as they navigate the final stretch of the season. For the Yankees, securing a series win would help them solidify their lead in the AL East and keep their momentum rolling into the postseason. For the Guardians, a loss would further erode their slim lead in the AL Central, ramping up the pressure as they fight for a playoff spot.

The Guardians’ ability to bounce back and contain the Yankees’ power hitters will be crucial. However, with Gerrit Cole on the mound and Soto and Judge in peak form, the Yankees hold a clear advantage. Cleveland’s offense will need to find its rhythm fast, or they risk falling further behind in the playoff race.

Today’s matchup between the Yankees and Guardians has the lowest combined runs projection in the league, but with the line sitting at 8 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for a straight-up pick, we like the Yankees to come out on top. Gerrit Cole has the 2nd best odds to pick up a win among today’s starters.