Here they go again.
The Red Sox and Yankees open yet another series tonight at Fenway
Park. It’s not for all the marbles — but it’s for most of them.
Boston (82-51) led New York by just two games going into last
night’s Yankees game at Baltimore, so this week’s set will go a long way
toward deciding the AL East. It is, though, far from the final blow in
the historic rivalry: That’s the climactic series at Yankee Stadium in
late September.
The Sox are red hot (7-3 in their last 10) and great at home (40-25
this year). But the Yankees look to have the pitching advantage tonight.
They’re trotting out ace CC Sabathia (17-7, 2.99 ERA) against John
Lackey.
The Boston right-hander (12-9, 5.98) has improved recently, with
wins in three of his last four starts. But he’s been anything but
dominant, giving up four or more runs in five of his last six outings.
The one time he gave up fewer than four was a six-inning, three-run
start against the Yankees on Aug. 6, a 10-4 Sox win.
Sabathia has been a horse for New York, going seven or more innings
in all but one of his starts since June 14. The only time he didn’t was
that same Aug. 6 game, when he gave up seven runs in six frames.
