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Could this be Scott Kazmir's last start in green and gold?
That will be a fair question to ask of each of the lefty's upcoming outings, as we are moving closer and closer to the trade deadline. Despite the A's recent lukewarm streak (16-14 over their last thirty) they are still ten games back of Houston in the division, and seven and a half games back of the Minnesota Twins for the second wild card spot. Meanwhile, the A's have plenty of rotation depth, and could probably contend even without Kazmir. So each start of his going forward is an ongoing #hugwatch. Per Ken Rosenthal...
Teams with scouts at Kazmir's start tonight at Yankee Stadium include: TOR, HOU, KC, DET, WAS, PIT. Some monitoring Zobrist, Clippard.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 8, 2015
#Athletics currently in holding pattern with trades. Teams routinely make sure they see possible targets live just to be prepared.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 8, 2015
The lefty has been fantastic in 2015. At age 31, he has posted a 2.56 ERA (3.23 FIP) over sixteen starts. Kaz has been even better as of late - he is 3-1 with a 1.53 ERA (2.37 FIP) over his last five games started. He has shown great control and kept the ball in the ballpark, allowing only seven walks and one home run over that span. Scott will look to continue his success, despite Yankee Stadium's short porch in right field.
Taking the bump for the Yankees will be the struggling left-hander CC Sabathia. Sabathia, who turns 35 in a couple weeks, has shown his age in 2015 - he is only 3-8 with a massive 5.59 ERA in 16 starts. However, his peripherals (1.71 BB/9, 4.56 FIP, 3.50 xFIP) tell a much different story. Sabathia's rotation spot might be on the line tonight, as despite his lucrative contract (owed $25MM in 2016, with a $25MM vesting option for 2017) Adam Warren has preformed very well and might just force the Yankees to bite the bullet on Sabathia if they wish to end their mini playoff drought.
Speaking of droughts, the city of New York does not seem to be in one. Rain has been coming down hard, on and off, but as of right now, the tarp is off the field. Officials are hopeful tonight's contest will start on time. If it does, it will be at 4:05 PST. Let's get another win tonight, Oakland!
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