The New York offense finally came up for air in the series finale against the White Sox, and it’s hard to even be too upset about it given how it had handled the White Sox in the previous two games, scoring double-digit runs in both of them. Now, they’ll take on the last-place Reds that after an exciting start to the season, have tailed off in what has been an increasingly competitive NL Central.
This matchup presents the ideal opportunity for Yankee fans to show their appreciation for this team’s
ability to keep the pedal to the metal amidst all the setbacks it has encountered as of late. While the offense is still rolling even without Judge, the Reds have felt every bit of the absence of Elly De La Cruz on their end — aside from the contributions by rookie Sal Stewart and (surprisingly) former Marlins top pick JJ Bleday.
Even if you account for the resources of this team, the norm would be to feel the effect of such a big absence. Evidently, that’ll happen for the Yankees as well, but the key is in having enough of a talent pool and depth to withstand it without the usual damage.
The pitching matchup is yet another example of the Yankees’ superiority, this time in pitching development. Without accounting for prospect pedigree, Cam Schlittler and Rhett Lowder began the season with similar levels of exposure and success in the bigs. Although in a far smaller sample size than Schlittler, Lowder also looked great in his cup of tea in 2024, but unlike Schlittler, who has taken the AL by storm in 2026, Lowder hasn’t been able to replicate the same success. Perhaps the elbow and oblique injuries that kept him out of play last year have had lingering effects.
It’s one of the differences why the Reds have a front-loaded rotation and not just a loaded one. Still, we are not far removed from when Lowder was the second pitcher selected in the 2023 MLB Draft after Paul Skenes, seventh overall. He’s coming off a 5.1-inning effort of one-run ball at home against the Dimaondbacks, striking out six.
As for the New York starting nine, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is back in there after his scare last night. The lineup is about what you’d expect from watching the Yankees in recent weeks with the righty Lowder on the bump.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES | Reds.TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, WLW 700
Online stream: MLB.tv
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