Yankees - Red Sox(3 games)
Heading into the last series between these two teams there was a lot of talk about how the games weren't as important, and would lack the intensity they had in the past. The Yanks were 7.5 behind, and the real division race was
But this time around things are a lot tighter;
I've been saying since the second half began that "if the Yankees are going to make a run they need to take advantage of every opportunity to gain ground." These games against teams they're chasing are very important. Well, they took care of business in the first two opportunities they had, this is their third.
Game 1 - Today @ 7:05 p.m.
TV: MY9; Radio: WCBS 880
Joba Chamberlain RHP (2-3, 2.52) vs. Josh Beckett RHP (9-6, 3.98)
Game 2 - Tomorrow @ 3:55 p.m.
TV: FOX; Radio: WCBS 880
Andy Pettitte LHP (11-7, 3.86) vs. Tim Wakefield RHP (6-7, 3.69)
Game 3 - Wednesday @ 8:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN; Radio: WCBS 880
Sidney Ponson RHP (6-1, 4.02) vs. John Lester LHP (8-3, 3.20)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Yankees - Robinson Cano: For the second series in a row Cano is the Yankees to watch. Cano has had a multi-hit game in all six games since the All-Star break. In those six games Cano is hitting .519 (14-for-27) with 2 homers and 7 RBI, and has raised his average from .246 to .265.
Cano has done well against the Red Sox, in 57 games he's hitting .311, with 9 HR, 36 RBI, and an OPS of .868. This year the Sox have held him to just a .216 average, but he has done well against all three Red Sox starters.
Cano vs. Beckett: .333 (9-for-27), 1 HR, 5 RBI, .975 OPS
Cano vs. Wakefield: .290 (9-for-31), 2 HR, 8 RBI, .935 OPS
Cano vs. Lester: .600 (3-for-5), 1 RBI, 1.400 OPS
Red Sox - David Ortiz: With Ortiz coming back to the lineup, he's gotta be the player to watch. Before his injury he was hitting .252 with 13 homers, 43 RBI, with an .839 OPS.
Ortiz has always done well against the Yanks; In 111 games against the Yankees Ortiz has hit .307 with 25 HR, 86 RBI, and an OPS of .959. But over the first four game this season the Yankees have held him to a .059 batting average.
Ortiz vs. Joba: 0-for-3
Ortiz vs. Pettitte: .333 (13-for-39), 1 HR, 6 RBI, .885 OPS
Ortiz vs. Ponson: .444 (16-for-36), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1.285 OPS
Yankees:
- Chien-Ming Wang is out till at least September with a mid-foot tearing of the Lisfranc ligament and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon.
- Phil Hughes is out till at least August, most likely September, with a stress fracture of the rib.
- Brian Bruney is out with an injured foot. He's now pitching with AAA Scranton, and could return soon.
- Jonathan Albaladejo is out for the year with a stress fracture in his right elbow.
- Hideki Matsui is on the 15-day DL with an inflamed left knee. It was reported today that the Yankees will make an announcement in a day or two that Matsui will have season-ending surgery.
- Jorge Posada is on the 15-day DL with a shoulder problem. He is deciding whether to have season-ending surgery, or to attempt to rehab the shoulder so he could return as a 1B/DH.
Red Sox:
- David Ortiz will return to the Red Sox lineup after completing his rehab assignment.
- Manny Ramirez was scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to soreness in his right knee, and he said that he was "day-to-day."
- David Aardsma is on the 15-day DL a strained right groin.
- Julio Lugo is on the 15-day DL with a strained left quad.
- Bartolo Colon is on 15-day DL due to back stiffness.
- Curt Schilling is out for the year after having right shoulder surgery.
5 Comments:
I like these pitching match-ups more than many other series with Boston, Greg. I like that Joba has faced top-flight starters such as Halliday and Yankee pest Wakefield recently, and will face Beckett. He's a kid who seems to respond to challenges well, and tonight's sure is one. This has the potential for an old-school, hardball match-up (then again, since it's Yanks-Sox, anything can happen). Pettite has been better of late, pitching gems against Tampa and Oakland and having one bad inning against Toronto. For me, the wild card is Ponson versus Lester. Ponson has hung in there despite a 1.721 WHIP for the Yanks, and I'm not very confident that it will translate well against a patient, good-hitting team such as Boston. Yet the guy has won his four starts with the Yanks (the run support hasn't hurt). Can the Yanks fare better against Lester this time around than they did last time? They couldn't be much more anemic than they were July 3.
Still, I like the Yanks' chances this series. Cano's hot hitting has much to do with that. Jeter seems to be picking it up as well (8-24, 5 runs, 4 RBIs the last five games).
i also like the pitching matchups. I feel we have a shot at winning each game, Sunday being the most unlikely. I think we may see some fireworks tonight. Joba and Youk, again? Beckett and Arod? It should be fun. I think the Yankees will win 2 out of 3 as long as the bats continue to hit, because I believe we can hit all these guys pretty good. And this time we'll have the Big Sexy when we vs. Lester, he's due to hit a couple of bombs over the monster. Time to make a statement Yanks, lets go!
I agree with you guys about the matchups, they aren't as bad as they have been in other series this season with Boston. Hopefully it translates into some wins.
Under/Over on ejections in this series?
Im sayin 3, since if a pitcher gets tossed the managers gotta go with him, then the batter for wylin out.
Including managers Derek? We may see the over hit on this one.
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