Yankees and Red Sox Open Bronx Series
It's a huge weekend wrap-around series in the Bronx between rivals when Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees begin a four-game series with the bruised and battered Boston Red Sox.
Just when it looks like the Boston Red Sox are getting healthy another key performer goes down with an injury.
I don’t have to list the players that have been out for the Red Sox (62-47 SU, -0.26 units) as they get ready to take on the rival New York Yankees (67-40 SU, +4.85 units) in a four-game series beginning on Friday night.
You already know just how patchwork the Boston lineup has been since essentially the beginning of the MLB season.
What’s amazing is how the BoSox have managed to stay in the race in baseball’s best and most competitive division. Coming into Friday night’s opener (7:05 PM ET) at Yankee Stadium, Boston was only six games behind New York for first place in the American League East.
The latest casualty is first baseman Kevin Youkilis, arguably Boston’s best hitter. Youkilis is out for the season with a torn adductor muscle in his thumb after it was announced on Thursday that he’d require surgery to repair the tear.
On the whole, the Red Sox are actually looking relatively healthy for the first time since April. Along with Youkilis, only Dustin Pedroia (broken foot), Mike Cameron (lower abdominal strain), and Jason Varitek (broken foot) are on the 15-day DL.
Still, Boston manager Terry Francona can’t be pleased with the state of affairs with New York on tap. If the BoSox don’t have a good showing in the Bronx this weekend, we can turn out the lights on their playoff hopes.
Boston isn’t doing itself any favors against the AL’s lesser lights, either. The Red Sox dropped two of three at home in their midweek series with Cleveland.
The good news is the Yankees are also playing poorly by their lofty standards. New York lost two of three against the moneyline against Toronto earlier this week, although it cashed 5-1 as -180 chalk in the finale on Wednesday afternoon to improve to 2-4 in its last six ballgames.
The Yankees are 5-3 against the Red Sox this season. The teams split a two-game set at Yankee Stadium in May, with New York winning 11-9 (-180) and Boston cashing 7-6 (+165).
Both contests played ‘over’ the listed total, furthering a trend between the Yanks and BoSox. The clubs are 7-1 O/U in eight meetings this season, making the ‘over’ the sharp play this weekend. The ‘over’ is also 11-2-1 in New York’s last 14 home games, while Boston is 5-3 O/U in its last eight games.
Clay Buchholz (11-5, 2.59 ERA) takes his turn in the rotation on Friday night for the Red Sox, who opened as +130 money line underdogs. Oddsmakers had the Yankees as -150 favorites, with the total set at 9 on the betting odds board.
Buchholz has a 1.94 ERA in 13 night games this season, during which Boston’s gone 10-3. New York counters with Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.61 ERA), who’s posted a 5.40 ERA in his last three outings.
CC Sabathia (13-5, 3.19 ERA) looks to keep rolling at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon (4:10 PM ET, FOX) against Boston’s John Lackey (10-6, 4.48 ERA). The Yanks are 8-2 in Sabathia’s 10 home outings this season, as the big lefthander’s put up a 2.69 ERA.
Lackey held the Yankees scoreless over six innings in his only start against them this season, but he doesn’t pitch well during the day. The BoSox are 1-5 against the moneyline in Lackey’s six daytime starts (6.75 ERA).
Boston figures to get a better performance on Sunday night (8 PM ET, ESPN) from Josh Beckett (3-1, 5.70 ERA), who’s found his stride since coming off the disabled list last month. In his last three starts, Beckett has a 2.18 ERA in three Boston victories.
That said, Beckett has a 10.43 ERA in three outings against the Yanks this season to almost mirror what A.J. Burnett (9-9, 4.93 ERA) brings to the mound on Sunday. In two starts against Boston, Burnett has racked up a 10.61 ERA.
Jon Lester (11-7, 3.07 ERA) is slated to take the ball on Monday afternoon (2:05 PM ET) for the BoSox, while the Yanks had yet to announce their starter as of press. Expect New York to go with Dustin Moseley (1-1, 4.12 ERA) for the finale.
It's a huge weekend wrap-around series in the Bronx between rivals when Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees begin a four-game series with the bruised and battered Boston Red Sox.
Just when it looks like the Boston Red Sox are getting healthy another key performer goes down with an injury.
I don’t have to list the players that have been out for the Red Sox (62-47 SU, -0.26 units) as they get ready to take on the rival New York Yankees (67-40 SU, +4.85 units) in a four-game series beginning on Friday night.
You already know just how patchwork the Boston lineup has been since essentially the beginning of the MLB season.
What’s amazing is how the BoSox have managed to stay in the race in baseball’s best and most competitive division. Coming into Friday night’s opener (7:05 PM ET) at Yankee Stadium, Boston was only six games behind New York for first place in the American League East.
The latest casualty is first baseman Kevin Youkilis, arguably Boston’s best hitter. Youkilis is out for the season with a torn adductor muscle in his thumb after it was announced on Thursday that he’d require surgery to repair the tear.
On the whole, the Red Sox are actually looking relatively healthy for the first time since April. Along with Youkilis, only Dustin Pedroia (broken foot), Mike Cameron (lower abdominal strain), and Jason Varitek (broken foot) are on the 15-day DL.
Still, Boston manager Terry Francona can’t be pleased with the state of affairs with New York on tap. If the BoSox don’t have a good showing in the Bronx this weekend, we can turn out the lights on their playoff hopes.
Boston isn’t doing itself any favors against the AL’s lesser lights, either. The Red Sox dropped two of three at home in their midweek series with Cleveland.
The good news is the Yankees are also playing poorly by their lofty standards. New York lost two of three against the moneyline against Toronto earlier this week, although it cashed 5-1 as -180 chalk in the finale on Wednesday afternoon to improve to 2-4 in its last six ballgames.
The Yankees are 5-3 against the Red Sox this season. The teams split a two-game set at Yankee Stadium in May, with New York winning 11-9 (-180) and Boston cashing 7-6 (+165).
Both contests played ‘over’ the listed total, furthering a trend between the Yanks and BoSox. The clubs are 7-1 O/U in eight meetings this season, making the ‘over’ the sharp play this weekend. The ‘over’ is also 11-2-1 in New York’s last 14 home games, while Boston is 5-3 O/U in its last eight games.
Clay Buchholz (11-5, 2.59 ERA) takes his turn in the rotation on Friday night for the Red Sox, who opened as +130 money line underdogs. Oddsmakers had the Yankees as -150 favorites, with the total set at 9 on the betting odds board.
Buchholz has a 1.94 ERA in 13 night games this season, during which Boston’s gone 10-3. New York counters with Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.61 ERA), who’s posted a 5.40 ERA in his last three outings.
CC Sabathia (13-5, 3.19 ERA) looks to keep rolling at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon (4:10 PM ET, FOX) against Boston’s John Lackey (10-6, 4.48 ERA). The Yanks are 8-2 in Sabathia’s 10 home outings this season, as the big lefthander’s put up a 2.69 ERA.
Lackey held the Yankees scoreless over six innings in his only start against them this season, but he doesn’t pitch well during the day. The BoSox are 1-5 against the moneyline in Lackey’s six daytime starts (6.75 ERA).
Boston figures to get a better performance on Sunday night (8 PM ET, ESPN) from Josh Beckett (3-1, 5.70 ERA), who’s found his stride since coming off the disabled list last month. In his last three starts, Beckett has a 2.18 ERA in three Boston victories.
That said, Beckett has a 10.43 ERA in three outings against the Yanks this season to almost mirror what A.J. Burnett (9-9, 4.93 ERA) brings to the mound on Sunday. In two starts against Boston, Burnett has racked up a 10.61 ERA.
Jon Lester (11-7, 3.07 ERA) is slated to take the ball on Monday afternoon (2:05 PM ET) for the BoSox, while the Yanks had yet to announce their starter as of press. Expect New York to go with Dustin Moseley (1-1, 4.12 ERA) for the finale.
