Yamamoto Has Been Locked In And It Will Continue

Yankees vs. Dodgers, 7:00 ET

The folks for Sunday Night Baseball definitely got one right. They put two juggernauts in the prime time slot. The one game a week that gets sole ownership of the sporting marketplace (provided the other sports don't have playoff games going on, but you know what I mean). Tonight, we get a potential World Series preview, and a World Series rematch from last season as the Yankees take on the Dodgers.

This has to be more personal for the Yankees, right? I mean who wants to lose to the team that knocked you out last year. They took your championship. They took your throne, and you're just going to let them do that to you? I think not. Baseball doesn't seem to have that same grudge factor and dislike between teams that other sports do. You lose by 40 in basketball, you better believe the next game you're probably going to get the losing team's best effort. Lose by 21 in baseball, well, the next day you get to play again. I suppose there is a certain pride for all of the teams, and there are definitely rivalries, but it still isn't the same. It should be here, though, with the Yankees. No World Series hangover for them, and one guy that struggled, Aaron Judge, is mashing the ball this season. He won't hit .400, folks, so don't waste your money on bad odds. What they do have going for them, though, is their pitching has been surprisingly good. Ryan Yarbrough takes the rock tonight and he will bring a 2-0 record with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP into action. Converted to a starter, Yarbrough has thrown 20 innings in four games this month and allowed five total earned runs. He does seem to be a bit susceptible to the long ball, with six given up in 34 innings, but aside from that, he has been very good. The Dodgers have also been very good against him with a .302 batting average in 96 at-bats.

(Getty Images)

The Dodgers are top dogs, and honestly, even when they weren't winning the World Series they probably could've been looked at as the ideal franchise. This is a team with seemingly unlimited money in their pockets. They continue to trade to improve even after good seasons. They lost in the playoffs, and went out and got Shohei Ohtani, and traded for Tyler Glasnow. They win the World Series, they go out and sign the best pitcher available in Blake Snell and another Japanese player, making that three that will be big contributors to the team this season. They do struggle with injury, specifically with pitching, but that's the only real blemish for them. Today they get the guy that I think should be Cy Young on the mound, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. For the season, he has been brilliant. He is 6-3 with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. His worst start of the year was earlier this month against the Diamondbacks, but remove that, he has allowed nine earned runs and just three homers over 59 innings this season. He was very good against the Yankees in the playoffs last year, and held them to just three hits in 24 at-bats.

Look, if you want to back the under, I won't blame you, but I really don't know if Yarbrough is ready for this lineup. He has been good, but I'm still not fully invested on him. For me, the clear play here is to take the Dodgers at home to close out the series. Revenge be dammed, the Dodgers are a better team and will win this game and the World Series again. Back them on the run line. 
 

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