Yankees vs. Red Sox Series Preview

Yankees vs. Red Sox

New Yankee Stadium
(2 games)

It will be another first in the brief history of the new Yankee Stadium, the first visit from the arch rival Boston Red Sox. After being swept last weekend at Fenway it's very important for the Yankees to have a good series in the Bronx. It's just two games, so anything less than a sweep will leave me disappointed.

The Yankees come off a pretty successful weekend series with the Angels, as they were able to take two of three. They are still lost when it comes to their bullpen, but between that and all the injuries, I'm pretty happy with the 13-11 record. They're currently in third place in the AL East, 1.5 games behind second place Boston, and 3.5 games behind the first place Blue Jays.

Boston is coming off of a rough weekend down in Tampa which saw the Rays take three out of four. Justin Masterson and Tim Wakefield are still the only starters on the staff who are throwing the ball well, and they're still waiting for Daisuke Matsuzaka to return from the DL.

While their starters have not lived up to expectations their bullpen has. With Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen, and the rest of the arms out there the game is pretty much over if they have a lead after five or six. So far this season they are 10-0 when leading after five innings.

Boston is 15-10, and currently in second place in the AL East, two games behind the first place Blue Jays.

Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Today @ 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, ESPN, WCBS 880
Phil Hughes RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Jon Lester LHP (1-2, 5.40 ERA)

Game 2: Tomorrow @ 7:05 p.m | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
Joba Chamberlain RHP (1-0, 3.13 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett RHP (2-2, 7.22 ERA)

Players to Watch

YANKEES: Robinson Cano - Cano is eighth in the majors with a .363 batting average, and has clearly been the Yankees best hitter to start the season. He also has hammered Red Sox pitching throughout his career. In 69 games against Boston in his career Cano is batting .324/.349/.547, with 12 HR, 52 RBI, and 18 doubles. In the three games against the Sox up in Boston he batted .400/.375/.867 (6-for-15) with 2 HR, and 6 RBI.

Cano vs. Lester: .214/.214/.286 (3-for-14), 2B, RBI
Cano vs. Beckett: .364/.432/.667 (3-for-14), 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 2B

RED SOX: Jason Bay - Bay almost single-handedly swept the Yankees last weekend in Fenway, hitting .600/.714/1.100 with two doubles, a homer, six RBI, and scored four. The homer was the game tying shot off Mo in game one of the series and completely turned the series around. In 17 career games against the Yankees Bay is hitting .311/.380/.541 with 2 HR and 14 RBI. He did struggle a bit at the old stadium, hitting just .243/.250/.432 with a homer and 8 RBI in nine games.

Bay vs. Hughes: NR
Bay vs. Chamberlain: .600/.667/.800 (3-for-5). 2B, BB

Injury Report

YANKEES
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B: 15-day DL with a torn labrum in right hip. He is down in Tampa rehabbing at the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa. He's expected back in early to mid May.
- Xavier Nady, RF: 15-day DL with an injured right elbow. It was thought that he would need season-ending surgery, but it is now being reported that he may avoid the surgery and miss just 4-6 weeks.
- Cody Ransom, INF: 60-day DL with a strained right quad.
- Brian Bruney, RP: 15-day DL with a sore right elbow.
- Chien-Ming Wang, SP: 15-day DL with hip abductor muscle weakness.
- Damaso Marte, RP: 15-day DL with a sore shoulder.

RED SOX
- Rocco Baldelli, CF/RF: 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring.
- Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP: 15-day DL with right arm fatigue.
- Jed Lowrie, SS/3B: 15-day with a left wrist sprain.
- John Smoltz, SP: 15-day DL as he recovers from right shoulder surgery.
- Mark Kotsay, CF: 15-day DL as he recovers from back surgery.
- Miguel González, RP: 60-day DL as he recovers from right elbow surgery.