LEADING OFF: Yankees, Cards slumping, all eyes on Philly net

A look at what's happening around the majors on Tuesday:

BRONX BUMMERS

Slumping DJ LeMahieu and the skidding Yankees hope to get back on target when they start a set at Target Field against the Twins.

New York has lost four in a row, coming off a weekend sweep by Boston at Yankee Stadium, and is fourth in the AL East, a division that many predicted it would win.

LeMahieu (batting .253), Gary Sanchez (.210), Brett Gardner (.190), Rougned Odor (.180) and the Yankees rank near the bottom of the majors in scoring, and have averaged barely 2 1/2 runs per game over the past two weeks.

Often dependent on power, they’re below the AL average in home runs and have hurt themselves on the bases all season, often running into outs.

Jordan Montgomery (3-1, 3.92 ERA) pitches the opener at Minnesota against former Yankees righty Michael Pineda (3-3, 3.40).

ST. LOUIS BLUES

Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and the Cardinals have lost five in row and ending the streak won’t be easy -- they next face Cleveland ace Shane Bieber.

St. Louis will try to avoid its worst skid since going on an 0-7 road trip to Wrigley Field and Cincinnati in June 2017.

Bieber (6-3, 3.08 ERA) has struck out 117 in 79 innings after winning the AL Cy Young Award last season.

Carlos Martinez (3-5, 5.83) starts for the Cardinals. He allowed 10 runs while getting just two outs against the Dodgers in his last outing, the shortest start of his big league career. St. Louis has lost seven of eight overall.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was held out of the lineup Sunday, a day after taking a foul ball off his left knee.

ROOKIE RESET

The Mariners have sent highly touted outfielder Jarred Kelenic back to Triple-A Tacoma after his rugged start in the majors.

The...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Yankees-Cards-slumping-all-eyes-on-16231363.php