HEADLINE

Beefed-up Yankees going for sweep of Marlins

Field Level Media

August 01, 2021 at 11:17 am.

Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo, acquired on Thursday, are two happy New York Yankees.

Gallo and Rizzo are set to continue their transitions to their new team on Sunday when the Yankees go for a three-game sweep against the host Miami Marlins.

Rizzo has been hot since joining the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs, going 4-for-5 with five runs scored, two homers, two RBIs and three walks. Gallo, coming over from the Texas Rangers, is 0-for-8, but the Yankees know what he can do as a hitter.

“I grew up a huge Yankees fan,” said Gallo, who was born and raised just outside of Las Vegas. “My family is from New York. It was pretty surreal when they told me I was going to the Yankees.”

Gallo, a 6-foot-5, 250-pounder, has 25 homers this season and two seasons in which he has hit at least 40. Rizzo, at 6-3 and 240 pounds, has 16 homers this year and four seasons with at least 30.

Other current Yankees sluggers include 6-6, 245-pound Giancarlo Stanton, who has a 59-homer season to his credit, and 6-7, 280-pound Aaron Judge, who hit 52 homers in 2017.

It’s an incredible collection of power that Yankees manager Aaron Boone can write in for Sunday’s lineup, a list that also includes Rougned Odor, who has three 30-homer seasons; Gary Sanchez, who has two 30-homer years; Gleyber Torres, who hit 38 homers two years ago; and hitters such as DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela, both of whom also have pop.

“We have a lot of heavy hitters – a lot of big boys,” Rizzo said. “You can’t help but be excited.”

The Yankees’ Sunday starter will be left-hander Jordan Montgomery (4-5, 3.78 ERA), who has never faced the Marlins.

Montgomery, whose ERA has improved every month this season (4.39 in April, 4.05 in May, 3.77 in June, 2.93 in July), has held lefty batters to a .503 OPS this year. That is 200 points lower than against right-handed batters.

Meanwhile, the Marlins, who have yet to announce their Sunday starter, are without manager Don Mattingly, who on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19.

Mattingly, who was replaced by bench coach James Rowson, experimented with rookie second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. hitting third on Friday.

On Saturday, Chisholm was back in the leadoff spot, but the three-hole experiment could return as soon as Sunday.

“I think he can handle it — he’s capable of everything you need in that spot. He can get on base, drive in runs and hit for power,” Mattingly said of Chisholm.

Miami on Sunday could start right-hander Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 3.29 ERA), who would be working on four days’ rest.

Alcantara has made one appearance against the Yankees, not factoring in the decision in a start in 2020, when he allowed three runs — two earned — in 7 1/3 innings with two walks and nine strikeouts. The Marlins won the game in 10 innings, 4-3.

However, Alcantara has a 1.69 ERA in six starts with five days of rest. He has a 3.88 ERA in 11 starts with four days of rest.

Alcantara, who had a 3.09 ERA in 19 starts during the first half of the season, has a 6.00 ERA in two starts in the second half.