MLB Odds: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox may have been eliminated from the postseason, but they can still spoil their New York rivals' season when they host the Yankees for three games at home this weekend.
The Yankees and Red Sox finish off their Rivalry for the 2010 season when they play a three-game series at Fenway Park beginning on Friday night.
Every New York-Boston set gets hyped to the gills, but the public is downplaying this weekend’s series because the Red Sox have been eliminated from postseason contention.
Thing is, this is the most important series the teams have played all season. The Yanks are assured of at least the American League Wild Card, but homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs is in the balance depending on what happens with Tampa Bay and Minnesota.
New York comes into the weekend tied with the Rays in the AL East. Should the Yankees fail to finish ahead of Tampa Bay for top spot, they’d open the Division Series on the road against the Twins.
Last week, I previewed New York’s three-gamer at Yankee Stadium against Boston, and predicted the lame-duck BoSox would get rolled over at the Bronx Zoo.
So much for that thought. Boston took two of three from New York, which dropped two of three at Toronto following its series with the Red Sox to sit at 2-6 against the MLB money line its last eight games.
Boston has disappointed bettors this season, but the Red Sox are still an excellent ballclub. If not for the bevy of injuries that has seen it go with a shell of its healthy lineup for essentially the entire season, Boston could easily be headed to the playoffs.
In a sense, the Red Sox are underrated. Boston has fallen short of expectations, but it’s one of the top five or six teams in baseball.
That being the case, I’m not sleeping on the BoSox this weekend. The Yankees’ pitching is struggling in a major way, and I fully expect Boston to take advantage at Fenway.
New York sports a 5.97 team ERA during its recent skid, including a 7.07 ERA from its starters. Outside of ace CC Sabathia, who is unlikely to throw in his regular spot in the rotation in Sunday afternoon’s regular season finale (1:35 p.m. ET), Joe Girardi doesn’t have a single starter on which he can rely.
Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.17 ERA) is the Yankees’ default No. 2 starter, but he brings question marks into Friday night’s series opener (7:10 p.m. ET), not to mention the playoffs.
Pettitte dealt with a stiff back in his outing last Friday against the Red Sox, when he was rocked for seven runs – six earned – over only 3 1-3 innings in Boston’s 10-8 win on the betting odds board.
If Pettitte doesn’t have a strong showing on Friday, New York will head into the postseason with a rotation of Sabathia and pray for rain. Lost in the Yanks’ impressive offense and great record is a starting rotation that’s truly in shambles.
As for betting Friday’s game, keep Pettitte’s 6.75 ERA against the Red Sox this season in mind. Boston is also hitting .312 against lefthanders in its last 10 games.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-6, 4.72 ERA) takes the ball for the BoSox opposite Pettitte. Dice-K allowed two runs over eight innings to get a no-decision in Boston’s 4-3 extra inning loss to New York in last week’s Sunday nighter.
On Saturday afternoon (4:10 p.m. ET, FOX), it’s a pitching mismatch with Clay Buchholz (17-7, 2.33 ERA) throwing for the Red Sox against the Yankees’ A.J. Burnett (10-15, 5.33 ERA).
I’m not sure why Girardi keeps running Burnett out to the mound, especially at Fenway. Burnett has a 10.61 ERA against Boston this season and an 8.03 ERA in his last three starts. Despite sporting baseball’s best offense, New York has cashed at the baseball betting window in only two of Burnett’s last 10 outings. Get this guy in running shoes, already.
The Yanks had yet to announce their starter for Sunday as of press, and they’ll use Sabathia only if they have a shot at the AL East title. A tie with Tampa Bay gets New York nowhere, either: The Rays hold the tiebreaker after going 10-8 against the Yankees this season.
John Lackey (13-11, 4.47 ERA) gets the call in Boston’s final game of the season. The Red Sox are 3-7 against the moneyline in Lackey’s last 10 starts.
New York is 8-7 against Boston this season, including 4-2 at Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox may have been eliminated from the postseason, but they can still spoil their New York rivals' season when they host the Yankees for three games at home this weekend.
The Yankees and Red Sox finish off their Rivalry for the 2010 season when they play a three-game series at Fenway Park beginning on Friday night.
Every New York-Boston set gets hyped to the gills, but the public is downplaying this weekend’s series because the Red Sox have been eliminated from postseason contention.
Thing is, this is the most important series the teams have played all season. The Yanks are assured of at least the American League Wild Card, but homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs is in the balance depending on what happens with Tampa Bay and Minnesota.
New York comes into the weekend tied with the Rays in the AL East. Should the Yankees fail to finish ahead of Tampa Bay for top spot, they’d open the Division Series on the road against the Twins.
Last week, I previewed New York’s three-gamer at Yankee Stadium against Boston, and predicted the lame-duck BoSox would get rolled over at the Bronx Zoo.
So much for that thought. Boston took two of three from New York, which dropped two of three at Toronto following its series with the Red Sox to sit at 2-6 against the MLB money line its last eight games.
Boston has disappointed bettors this season, but the Red Sox are still an excellent ballclub. If not for the bevy of injuries that has seen it go with a shell of its healthy lineup for essentially the entire season, Boston could easily be headed to the playoffs.
In a sense, the Red Sox are underrated. Boston has fallen short of expectations, but it’s one of the top five or six teams in baseball.
That being the case, I’m not sleeping on the BoSox this weekend. The Yankees’ pitching is struggling in a major way, and I fully expect Boston to take advantage at Fenway.
New York sports a 5.97 team ERA during its recent skid, including a 7.07 ERA from its starters. Outside of ace CC Sabathia, who is unlikely to throw in his regular spot in the rotation in Sunday afternoon’s regular season finale (1:35 p.m. ET), Joe Girardi doesn’t have a single starter on which he can rely.
Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.17 ERA) is the Yankees’ default No. 2 starter, but he brings question marks into Friday night’s series opener (7:10 p.m. ET), not to mention the playoffs.
Pettitte dealt with a stiff back in his outing last Friday against the Red Sox, when he was rocked for seven runs – six earned – over only 3 1-3 innings in Boston’s 10-8 win on the betting odds board.
If Pettitte doesn’t have a strong showing on Friday, New York will head into the postseason with a rotation of Sabathia and pray for rain. Lost in the Yanks’ impressive offense and great record is a starting rotation that’s truly in shambles.
As for betting Friday’s game, keep Pettitte’s 6.75 ERA against the Red Sox this season in mind. Boston is also hitting .312 against lefthanders in its last 10 games.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-6, 4.72 ERA) takes the ball for the BoSox opposite Pettitte. Dice-K allowed two runs over eight innings to get a no-decision in Boston’s 4-3 extra inning loss to New York in last week’s Sunday nighter.
On Saturday afternoon (4:10 p.m. ET, FOX), it’s a pitching mismatch with Clay Buchholz (17-7, 2.33 ERA) throwing for the Red Sox against the Yankees’ A.J. Burnett (10-15, 5.33 ERA).
I’m not sure why Girardi keeps running Burnett out to the mound, especially at Fenway. Burnett has a 10.61 ERA against Boston this season and an 8.03 ERA in his last three starts. Despite sporting baseball’s best offense, New York has cashed at the baseball betting window in only two of Burnett’s last 10 outings. Get this guy in running shoes, already.
The Yanks had yet to announce their starter for Sunday as of press, and they’ll use Sabathia only if they have a shot at the AL East title. A tie with Tampa Bay gets New York nowhere, either: The Rays hold the tiebreaker after going 10-8 against the Yankees this season.
John Lackey (13-11, 4.47 ERA) gets the call in Boston’s final game of the season. The Red Sox are 3-7 against the moneyline in Lackey’s last 10 starts.
New York is 8-7 against Boston this season, including 4-2 at Fenway Park.