The Yankees roll into DC on a rough stretch looking to find their footing, while the Nationals are trying to keep a surprise Wild Card push alive with half their pitching staff on the shelf.
Bush’s Picks
NYYWSH
NYYWSH
OverUnder
Best BetYankees
New York's roster still runs deeper than Washington's even with Judge and Stanton out, and that gap should show up over a series even if the Yankees haven't looked like themselves lately. The Nationals' offense can keep any game competitive, but a rotation missing four regulars is a tough ask against a Wild Card team trying to snap out of a funk. Backing the Yankees here is a bet on talent overriding recent form.
Yankees
+Still holding an AL Wild Card spot
+Fried nearing return after clean BP session
+Doval trending up per Boone's comments
−Lost 4 of last 5 games
−Judge, Stanton, Rodon, Schmidt all out
−Bullpen depth shaky beyond Doval
Nationals
+MLB-leading runs scored this season
+James Wood, CJ Abrams both named All-Stars
+Still in the crowded NL Wild Card mix
−Cavalli suspended after benches-clearing brawl
−Rotation missing Irvin, Williams, Gray, Herz
−Front office looks poised to sell at deadline
Both rotations are still a work in progress heading into Friday's series opener — neither club has locked in a starter yet, a byproduct of two staffs that have been picked apart by injuries all season. The Yankees are still without Carlos Rodon, Max Fried and Clarke Schmidt, while the Nationals are missing Jake Irvin, Trevor Williams, Josiah Gray and DJ Herz among others. Whoever gets the ball for either side will be doing it without much of a supporting cast behind them.
New York's bigger issue right now might be the bullpen, not the rotation. Aaron Boone didn't sugarcoat it after last week, calling the stretch a terrible one for his club, and relievers like David Bednar have been shaky even as Boone talks up Camilo Doval's stuff trending in the right direction. Washington's pitching problem is more structural — Cade Cavalli's suspension from the Red Sox brawl thins out an already M*A*S*H-unit rotation, and Trevor Williams and Jake Irvin are both still working back from injury.
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NYY Yankees
WSH Nationals
Where the Nationals can hang is at the plate. James Wood and CJ Abrams both made the NL All-Star team, and Washington has scored as many runs as any lineup in baseball this season. That offense is the reason a team sitting at .500 is still lurking in the crowded NL Wild Card picture instead of fading into sell mode outright — even with a front office that looks built to deal come deadline.
New York Yankees
Jul 9?@ Rays—
Jul 8?@ Rays—
Jul 7?@ Rays—
Washington Nationals
Jul 8?vs Astros—
Jul 7?vs Astros—
Recent form.
The Yankees, for what it's worth, are still holding a Wild Card spot in the AL despite dropping 4 of their last 5. That's a testament to the depth of the roster they built before Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton went down, but it doesn't erase the fact that this version of the lineup is missing its two biggest bats. Fried's return is getting closer after a clean live BP session, which at least gives the rotation something to look forward to.
New York Yankees
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Washington Nationals
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Neither team looks fully healthy, but the shape of the damage is different — New York is missing star power at the top of the lineup and in the rotation, while Washington is stretched thin in bulk across the pitching staff. That contrast should shape how this series plays out more than any name on a lineup card Friday.
