Cleveland vs New York Yankees Odds and Picks (Sep. 17)
- The New York Yankees are -190 home favorites over Cleveland in an American League game slated for Friday, September 17
- New York sits a half-game out of an AL Wild Card playoff position
- The Yanks hold a 7-2 edge over Cleveland in the last nine meetings between the two teams
One night after letting one get away, the New York Yankees (82-65, 41-31 home) need to get back on the horse and get after Cleveland (71-73, 35-37 away).
On Thursday, the Yanks squandered a 12-strikeout performance from starter Jordan Montgomery and lost 3-2 in 10 innings to the AL East cellar-dwelling Baltimore Orioles. As a result, they find themselves a half-game in arrears to the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox in pursuit of one of the two American League Wild Card postseason places.
Oddsmakers are liking the Bronx Bombers to quickly right the ship. The Yankees are the -190 favorites to defeat Cleveland on Friday in the opener of a three-game weekend series. New York is 3-1 straight up against Cleveland his season.
Cleveland vs Yankees Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | +160 | +1.5 (-120) | O 9 (-120) |
| New York Yankees | -190 | -1.5 (+100) | U 9 (+100) |
Odds as of September 17th at DraftKings
The first pitch at Yankee Stadium is set for 7:05 PM EST. The forecast is calling for rain, 8 mph wind, and a temperature of 79 degrees.
Plesac vs Kluber
| 10-5 | Record | 4-3 |
| 4.45 | ERA | 4.02 |
| 4.44 | xERA | 4.23 |
| 1.16 | WHIP | 1.31 |
| 3.03 | SO/W Ratio | 2.40 |
Right-hander Plesac has set a career-high for wins. He’s reached double digits in victories for the first time. A loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start on September 11 snapped Plesac’s four-game winning streak. His previous loss was on August 3.
Even with that loss, Plesac shows a 2.66 ERA through his past four starts. He’s also struck out 15 over his past 18 innings, a rarity for Plesac. He rates among the bottom 8% in the AL in strikeout percentage (16.8). He’s also gone 18.1 innings without allowing a home run.
The Cleveland Indians are the first team to be no-hit three times in a season.
Zach Plesac started all three games they were no-hit 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XSVf3ECJ27
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 12, 2021
He’ll be facing the Yankees for just the third time, and for the first time since August 17, 2019, when he took the loss in a 6-5 setback in his only previous outing at Yankee Stadium. Plesac is 1-1 with a 4.63 against the Bronx Bombers.
Winner of the 2014 and 2017 AL Cy Young Awards with Cleveland, right-hander Kluber is facing his old team for the first time. It’s been an up-and-down year for Kluber. He no-hit the Texas Rangers on May 19. He was placed on the IL with a shoulder issue following his next start and didn’t pitch in an MLB game again until August 30.
Corey Kluber on pitching in games late in the season during the stretch run for the playoffs
"To be playing meaningful games in September, you can tell a difference just coming to the ballpark everyday" pic.twitter.com/YYi2op2L9t
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 16, 2021
Since coming back, he’s not gone more than four innings in three starts and hasn’t figured in a decision. He shows an 8.48 ERA over those three starts. His Max EV is in the bottom 5% of the AL (116.6).
Kluber’s last win was his 2-0 no-hitter against the Rangers. He’s 4-1 in his last five decisions.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Yankees Batters | Batting Average vs Plesac | Cleveland Batters | Batting Average vs Kluber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Gallo | .000 | Bobby Bradley | .000 |
| Brett Gardner | .000 | Yu Chang | .000 |
| Kyle Higashioka | .000 | Andres Gimenez | .000 |
| Aaron Judge | .000 | Austin Hedges | .000 |
| DJ LeMahieu | .333 | Oscar Mercado | .000 |
| Rougned Odor | .167 | Owen Miller | .000 |
| Anthony Rizzo | .000 | Roberto Perez | .000 |
| Gary Sanchez | .333 | Harold Ramirez | .000 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | .000 | Jose Ramirez | .000 |
| Gleyber Torres | .500 | Franmil Reyes | .000 |
| Gio Urshela | .000 | Amed Rosario | .000 |
| Luke Voit | .000 | Myles Straw | .000 |
| Tyler Wade | .000 | Bradley Zimmer | .000 |
Yankees third baseman DJ Lemahieu is 2-for-6 (.333) with a homer and two RBI when facing Plesac. Shortstop Gleyber Torres is 1-for-2 (.500). The hit was a solo homer. Catcher Gary Sanchez is 1-for-3 (.333).
DJ LeMahieu extends the Yankees' lead! 🚨#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/Ls9rcgI6am
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 15, 2021
Catcher Austin Hedges is the only Cleveland batter who’s ever faced Kluber in a big-league game. He went 0-for-3.
Cleveland vs Yankees Picks
The big picture favors the team from the Big Apple. The Yankees have won seven of nine from Cleveland. They’re also 42-18 in their last 60 games against AL Central opposition.
However, Cleveland won the last game between the two teams, as well as the last game played at Yankee Stadium. Cleveland has scored 34 runs in its last four games at Yankee Stadium.
Pitching probables for this weekend's series as the #Yankees host Cleveland:
FRI: Corey Kluber vs. Zach Plesac
SAT: Luis Gil vs. Aaron Civale
SUN: Gerrit Cole vs. Eli Morgan— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) September 16, 2021
The bottom line, though, is starting pitching. Plesac has been on top of his game for the past month. Kluber is struggling to find his game since coming back from the IL.
Pick: Cleveland ML (+160)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
