CJ Wilson loves playing at Yankee Stadium. The Los Angeles Angels pitcher will take the mound in the first game of a weekend series in New York, a place he has traditionally done well at. Wilson is currently 3-0 in five starts against the Yankees with a 2.08 ERA. However, he is 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA when playing in the Bronx itself. However, with a revamped lineup, Wilson's history might not help him much.
Wilson's latest outing does not help his confidence. The pitcher gave up four runs, seven hits, two homers and walked three while throwing 111 pitchers in five innings. Wilson will be facing the red hot Jacoby Ellsbury, someone else who is thriving in the Bronx. The Yankees have won four straight thanks to his bat. He is leading the team with a .337 average while knocking out eight doubles and 11 RBI. Against Boston he hit two doubles in three at-bats while also bringing in three. At home, Ellsbury is batting .367. However, he is just 2 for 10 against Wilson.
New York will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound on Friday. The pitcher is 2-1 with a 4.07 ERA. He is 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his last four games against the Angels. In his last 15 starts at home, Kuroda is 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA, giving Wilson a run for him money on how much he loves the Bronx. Kuroda has struggled against hitting phenom Mike Trout in his short time facing the big bat. Trout is 3 for 7 against the pitcher, while hitting .383 in 15 career games against New York. In the past 12 games, he is batting .352, looking every bit worth the contract extension.