The set-up: The NY Yankees opened a three-game series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers with a 10-5 victory. Rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres homered in the second and sixth innings to become the second-youngest player (21 years, 159 days) in club history to hit at least two HRs in one game, trailing only Hall-of-Famer Mickey Mantle (20, 296). New York hit five HRs in all, marking the first time in team history it has connected on at least four long balls in three straight contests and the first time since the 2011 Rangers any team had done so. Texas managed to get three HRs from the bottom of its lineup but that production was not nearly enough to keep the Rangers from falling to 18-31, including 7-17 at home. The Yankees own MLB's best overall record at 31-13 and will aim for a fourth consecutive victory against the host Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

The pitching matchup: Domingo German (0-1, 4.26 ERA) gets the nod for the Yankees and he will be opposed by Texas lefty Cole Hamels (2-4, 3.48 ERA). German will being making his first career road start, after two drastically different results at home. German struck out nine over six hit-less innings against Cleveland on May 6 but then surrendering six runs on six hits and three walks in another no-decision on May 12 versus Oakland. The veteran Hamels was scratched from his last scheduled start due to neck stiffness but is expected to take the mound for the first time since May 11, when he yielded just one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings in a 1-0 win at Houston. The four-time All-Star seemingly has settled into a bit of a groove after beginning the season 1-3 with a 4.76 ERA, as he has gone 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA over his last four outings. Hamels is 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in four career starts versus New York.

The pick: The Yanks are 2-0 in German's two starts this season and he has not given up a run in two road relief appearances, spanning seven innings. Some more good news is, he is holding left-handed hitters to a .163 average as he faces Texas for the first time. I noted above that Hamels owns a 1.93 ERA over his last four outings but will add here that Texas has gone just 1-3 in those starts. Very hard to not favor New York here, as the Yankees come in first in all of MLB in runs scored (5.87 per), OPS (.812) and HRs (72), while the Rangers rank 22nd in scoring (4.22 per), 29th in team BA (.225) and 27th in OPs (.667). Then there is Texas' woeful 7-17 home mark, in which the Rangers are being outscored 6.08-to-4.00 RPG. Make the Yankees an 8* play.