Yankees vs Guardians: Can Battenfield Shut Down the Yankees in His First MLB Start?

• NYY Starter Clarke Schmidt has a 9.45 ERA, and 6 ⅔ innings pitched over two starts

• Guardians center fielder Myles Straw leads the MLB with six stolen bases.

• Guardians starter Peyton Battenfield will be making his MLB debut.

Yankees vs Guardians Odds

Odds courtesy of PointsBet Sportsbook.

Yankees vs Guardians Pick

• Over 9.5

It’s a big total, but we should be in for some big numbers with two unproven arms on the mound. 

New York Yankees Predictions

The Yankees (7-4) bats broke out last night for 11 runs on 13 hits. After struggling to hit Shane Bieber in the first game, they bounced back over Guardians starter Hunter Grace. The 25-year-old is in his rookie season and looked good against the A’s, but the Yankees got him eight earned runs in just three innings.

Anthony Rizzo has been New York’s hottest bat in the series, going 3-7 with two RBIs and two runs. Gleyber Torres has also been seeing the ball well, with a double and triple in the series. However, he was pulled after an injury late in last night’s blowout win.

27-year-old Clarke Schmidt will get the start for the Yankees tonight. He spent most of last season in relief but did make five starts. He finished the season with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, both of which were career highs. This will be the first time in four seasons that Clarke will face the Guardians.

Unfortunately, Schmidt reverted to his 2021 form early this season. He has made two starts where he gave up a combined seven earned runs over 6 ⅔ innings. He has also been throwing too many pitches, thanks to issues with finding the strike zones. Those issues have led him to post a whopping 2.10 WHIP to begin the season. 

Expect to see Clarke struggle against an Indians offense that is looking to bounce back after being shut down by Gerrit Cole. At the plate, the Yankee bats will have another big day as they face an unproven starter in Peyton Battenfield.

Cleveland Guardians Predictions

The Guardians (7-5) come in after a blowout loss on Tuesday that split the series 1-1. Their bats have been quiet, scoring five combined runs on 11 hits. Seven of those hits came against Yankee ace Gerrit Cole yesterday, but they only managed two runs. They will need to snap out of it today to support Peyton Battenfield in his first start of the season.

If Cleveland wants a chance to win, they’ll need Jose Ramirez to get hot. He went 2-4 with an RBI in yesterday’s loss, but the lack of support behind him has been an issue. That will change tonight as they face an unproven starter in Clarke Schmidt. Expect the top of the lineup to start producing and for Josh Bell and Josh Naylor to get going. 

The Guardians will have rookie Peyton Battenfield making his MLB debut today. The 25-year-old was drafted in the ninth round of the 2019 draft and has a career ERA of 2.99 in the minors. 

Battenfield has made one start in AAA this season, and it wasn’t overly impressive. He picked up the loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) over five innings. 

The young pitcher has talent but will face a stiff challenge against a veteran Yankee lineup. Expect Battenfield to give up a big run total and exit early in today’s matinee.  

How to Watch Yankees vs Guardians

• What: New York Yankees vs Cleveland Guardians

• When: Wednesday, April 12, at 1:10 PM EST

• Where: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

• How to Watch: Bally Sports Great Lakes / MLB.TV / YES Network