Athletics-Yankees prediction: Picks, odds on Tuesday, May 9

Aaron Judge finally makes his return from the IL as the New York Yankees welcome the Oakland Athletics to the Bronx for the second game of a three-game set. First pitch from Yankee Stadium on Tuesday is set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Righty Drew Rucinski (0-2, 7.71 ERA) is set to make his third start of the year for the A's, while Clarke Schmidt (0-3, 5.83) looks to get back on track for New York.

The Yankees enter as heavy -265 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Oakland checking in as a +225 underdog. The run total is set at 8.5.

Yankees

Out: DH Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring), SP Carlos Rodon (back), SP Luis Severino (lat), C Ben Rortvedt (shoulder)

Athletics

Out: SP Paul Blackburn (finger), RP Trevor May (personal), INF Aledmys Diaz (elbow), OF Seth Brown (oblique), C Manny Pina (wrist)

Drew Rucinski vs. Clarke Schmidt

Thrust into Oakland's rotation due to injuries, Rucinski has had a brutal start to the season. The journeyman righty has given up 10 runs (eight earned) on a whopping 15 hits and six walks over his first 9.1 innings. With a fastball that doesn't even touch 90 mph and a slider that hitters are currently teeing off on, he doesn't appear to have much that can get Major League hitters out.

Schmidt hasn't fared too much better in New York's rotation this year, completing five innings in just two of his starts while ranking in the bottom five percent in hard-hit rate. His main problem is that he can't get lefties out, as his arsenal – a sinker, slider, cutter and curveball – doesn't offer anything moving away from left-handers. Until he solves that problem, he'll be awfully inefficient and hard to trust.

Rucinski seems overmatched at this level, and Aaron Judge's return to a lineup that seems to finally be finding its footing means that New York should score plenty of runs tonight. Combine that with a sneaky-good A's lineup that loves to platoon and can stack plenty of lefties – including the scorching JJ Bleday and Ryan Noda – against Schmidt, and we should hit the over with ease.

Pick: Over 8.5

I'd be inclined to stay away from the moneyline here given the odds, but if forced to pick there's simply no way you can trust Rucinski to not get shelled.

Pick: Yankees

  
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