Yanks - Red Sox Series Preview

Yankees - Red Sox

@ Yankee Stadium
(4 games)

The greatest rivalry in sports starts up again for a four game weekend series. So far this season the Red Sox have taken three of the five games between the two teams.

Boston comes into this series after being swept by the Rays in a three game series in Tampa. They've also lost five games in a row. The Red Sox have a 50-37 record and are 3.5 games behind the first place Rays in the AL East. They also lead the Wild Card by 2 games over the Minnesota Twins.

After winning seven games in a row the Yankees have struggled and won just five of their last twelve games. They just dropped two out of three to the Rangers at The Stadium. The Yankees are 45-40, and 7.5 games behind the first place Rays in the AL East, and 4 games behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card.

MATCHUPS

Game 1 - Today @ 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES; Radio: WCBS 880
Andy Pettitte LHP (9-5, 3.98) vs. Jon Lester LHP (6-3, 3.48)

Game 2 - Tomorrow @ 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES; Radio: WCBS 880
Darrell Rasner RHP (4-4, 4.22) vs. Josh Beckett RHP (7-5, 3.65)

Game 3 - Saturday @ 3.55 p.m.
TV: FOX; Radio: WCBS 880
Mike Mussina RHP (10-6, 3.87) vs. Justin Masterson RHP (4-2, 3.75)
(there's a chance the Sox will call up Clay Buchholz for this game)

Game 4 - Sunday @ 8:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN; Radio: WCBS 880

Joba Chamberlain RHP (2-2, 2.22) vs. Tim Wakefield RHP (5-6, 3.72)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Yankees - Jason Giambi: Since struggling so much for the first month the season The Giambino has been the Yankees most productive offensive player. For the season he's hitting .266 with a team-leading 18 home runs, 52 RBI, and an OPS of .965.

In 163 games against the Red Sox in his career he's hitting .270, 33 HR, 103 RBI and an OPS of .910. This season he has not done that well against the Sox, hitting just .222 (4-for-18), but he does have 2 homers, 4 RBI, and an OPS of .944.

Giambi vs. Lester: NR
Giambi vs. Beckett: .238 (5-for-21), 2 HR, 6 RBI, .931 OPS
Giambi vs. Masterson: NR
Giambi vs. Buchholz: NR
Giambi vs. Wakefield: .183 (15-for-82), 4 HR, 9 RBI, .729 OPS

Red Sox - Manny Ramirez: Ramirez has struggled over of the past seven games, hitting just .136 with a homer and 3 RBI. For the season he's hitting .279, and he's tied for the team lead in homers with 16, and leads the team with 53 RBI.

In six games against the Yankees in 2008 he's hitting an insane .526, with 3 HR, 8 RBI, and an OPS of 1.677. In two games at The Stadium he's hitting .667 (6-for-9) with 2 HR, 4 RBI, and an OPS of 2.144. Manny has always killed the Yankees throughout his career; in 194 games he's hitting .322, with 55 HR, 160 RBI and an OPS of 1.032. At The Stadium he's hitting .323, with 29 HR, 77 RBI, and an OPS of 1.012 in 99 games.

Ramirez vs. Pettitte: .431 (31-for-72), 4 HR, 19 RBI, 1.183 OPS
Ramirez vs. Rasner: NR
Ramirez vs. Mussina: .280 (28-for-100), 9 HR, 24 RBI, .963 OPS
Ramirez vs. Joba: NR

INJURY REPORT

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 with a stress fracture of the rib.
- Brian Bruney is out with an injured foot, but could return after the All Star break.
- Jonathan Albaladejo is out for the year with a stress fracture in his right elbow.
- Chris Britton is on the 15-day DL with a pulled right ribcage. He's rehabbing in the minor leagues.
- Hideki Matsui is on the 15-day DL with an inflamed left knee. Could take batting practice in the next few days.

Red Sox:
- David Ortiz is on the 15-day DL with a left wrist injury. He's still at least a month away from returning and according to Peter Gammons, there's a chance he will miss the rest of the season.
- Mike Timilin is on the 15-day DL with left knee tendinitis.
- Bartolo Colon is on the 15-day DL with a back injury.
- Curt Schilling is out for the season after have surgery on his right shoulder.