First Pitch: Hurry back, Tex

September, 7, 2012
9/07/12
6:00
AM ET
By Andrew Marchand | ESPNNewYork.com
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New York Yankees fans have often loathed Mark Teixeira. As one of my tweeps put it earlier in the season, he doesn't hit in the first month or the last month. This may be true, but he does put up numbers throughout the middle. And the Yankees need him.

It seems unlikely that Teixeira will be back tonight, but Saturday or Sunday seems very possible. The Yankees need him.

Buck Showalter has stacked his lefties (Wei-Yin Chen, Joe Saunders and Zach Britton are the starters the next three days) because the Yankees have been very bad against them. Teixeira has an .880 OPS as a left-handed batter against righties. The Yankees desperately need that to even out their lineup and make it harder for Showalter to play the matchup game in the late innings.

UP NOW: My column on the playoff feeling at Camden Yards, which wasn't a good thing for the Yankees.

ON DECK: Tonight's pitching matchup: Phil Hughes (13-12, 4.18) vs. Chen (12-8, 3.79)

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you think when Teixeira comes back, the Yankees' offense will get right?

Andrew Marchand

ESPNNewYork.com
Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, ESPN New York 98.7 FM and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years at the New York Post. Follow Andrew on Twitter »
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New York Yankees, First Pitch, Mark Teixiera

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Wallace Matthews has covered NY sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host and TV commentator. He joins ESPNNewYork to cover the Yankees, which he's done since the days of Stump Merrill for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun and ESPN New York 98.7 FM.

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Andrew Marchand
Marchand

Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork.com. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, ESPN New York 98.7 FM and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years as a sports writer at the New York Post.

Follow Andrew on Twitter »

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