[SaintsFan]

Recent trends or the last 2 years sample size?

A-Rod being out doesn't really hurt the Yanks - both Chavez and Nunez were producing way more steadily than A-Rod has been since return. I'd worry about Jeter being close enough to 100% to matter and CC's mental health.

I think the value is more on the Yankees here - CC's last outing v's Oakland was actually pretty solid - Girardi just left him in an inning too long. Don't think he makes that mistake again. Lackey has been pitching very well of late, but the Yankees (despite losing) touched him up pretty well last time out.

Bottom line: CC's upside is way higher than Lackey's upside. Either you believe he will conquer his Red Sox demons or not. I say he does it tonight...

Prediction: Yankees 5, Red Sox 3

[obamaismyuncle]

like the red sux

[Fire in da hole]

Six will bust his fat azz again

[bobby heenan]

as a sox fan...i want to jump on the yanks here...but i just cant bring myself to do it(although i played the jets ml last year in the playoffs against my pats and sat in my seats at gillette and watched the horror show)....

lackey is gonna put baserunners on...with him its about making the 1 or 2 pitches in the inning to get out of jams...if he doesnt...hes gonna get worked....cc is too good to keep getting worked by the sox isnt he?

[Robber]

take yankees even tho sox have owned cc

cc v lackey is mismatch

[lakerboy]

Lackey has been better lately- line is dropping on the yanks. Boston will finish off the yanks for the div in this series.

[bobby heenan]

Lackey has been better lately- line is dropping on the yanks. Boston will finish off the yanks for the div in this series.

hope yer right

[Pete0]

Im liking yankees too, but so far loooks like Im passing on this

[SaintsFan]

RED SOX (82-51)
Ellsbury CF
Scutaro SS
Gonzalez 1B
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Lowrie 3B
Crawford LF
Saltalamacchia C
McDonald RF
Pitching: RHP John Lackey (12-9, 5.98)

YANKEES (80-52)
Gardner LF
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Teixeira 1B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Chavez 3B
Posada DH
Cervelli C

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (17-7, 2.99)

Game time: 7:10 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN, MLB Network / WEEI (850-AM), WCBS (880-AM)

Notes: The Red Sox and Yankees meet for the 13th time this season with the Red Sox having won 10 of the first 12 games, outscoring the Yankees 75-46. ... Lackey is 7-2 with a 4.11 earned run average in his last nine starts. He has faced the Yankees twice this season, giving up nine earned on 13 hits over 11 innings. ... Sabathia is 0-4, 7.20 in four starts against the Red Sox, 17-3, 2.40 in his other 25 starts. ... Ortiz enters the series having hit safely in 12 straight games at 24 of 46 with six homers and 14 RBIs. He is 11 of 20 with seven runs, seven RBIs, four homers and four doubles in his last five games. ... Jonathan Papelbon is riding a scoreless streak of 16 innings into the series. ... Daniel Bard has gone 8.2 innings without allowing a run. ... The Sox are 31-15 against the AL East. ... Yankees reliever Dave Robertson allowed his first home run of the season last night in Baltimore.

[SaintsFan]

There's no reason to be scared to bet on the Yankees here unless you simply don't believe that Sabathia is a quality pitcher. I know he's "sucked against the Red Sox", but Lackey has "sucked against the Yankees" and sucks in general, too.

The Red Sox are loaded with left-handed bats in Ellsbury, Gonzo, Ortiz, Crawford and unless CC really is a head case, he should be able to scatter hits and limit the damage.

The Red Sox have been off for nearly 72 hours now so I'd think their bats could be a little quieted at the outset.