The New York Yankees are leaving Baltimore after taking two of four against the Orioles on route to Boston, but sans the Captain and 
possibly A-rod, who both have minor injuries.
Any baseball fan is well aware that the Yankees are the team with something to prove against the Red Sox, who have owned the Bombers in 2011.
The worst part is the Yankees most reliable ace CC Sabathia can’t seem to stop the AL East leading Red Sox either, as he is 0-4 this season, with a 7.20 ERA. The Red Sox are hitting .324 when Sabathia takes the hill, as well as racking up 33 hits, five doubles, one triple, two home-runs, 16 RBIs and 10 walks in four starts.
Sabathia is also having a rotten August, posting a 4.95 ERA and a 2-2 record over the five starts he has made so far this month.
So, not only are the odds against Sabathia statistically but it must also be mentally taxing. Sabathia will try to right himself in enemy terrain, aka. Fenway Park on Tuesday night to open the three games set; the first of nine games the Yankees have left vs. Boston.
The Yankees need CC to have a CC kind of night to get the series momentum going in their direction.
With the Yankees sitting one and a half back behind in the division heading into this series, this could get really ugly if the Yankees don’t take two of the three games at Fenway Park this week.
John Lackey will take the hill for the Red Sox, and the Yankees are hitting .289 off him. The Yankee bats need to step it up big time for when Sabathia folds, but even more so just to guarantee a win to start this series off on a positive note.
MY PREDICTION:
CC SABATHIA GETS THE WIN OVER BOSTON, 4-1.
NEW YORK YANKEES @ BOSTON RED SOX: PROABLE PITCHERS
TUESDAY – August 30, 7:10 PM ET (see above)
WEDNESDAY – Wednesday, August 31, 7:10 PM ET – Josh Beckett vs. Phil Hughes
THURSDAY – September 1, 7:10 PM ET – Jon Lester vs. AJ Burnett
Related articles
- Starting Pitching Matchups: Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees (rantsports.com)
- Burnett Will Stay in Rotation to Face Red Sox (bats.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Simon excels, but Orioles lose 3-2 to Yankees (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- The Red Sox Thank You for Coming. And Coming. And Coming. (nytimes.com)
- Yankees beat Orioles 3-2 for 4-game split (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Bats: Yankees Will Head to Boston Short-Handed (bats.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Freddy Garcia Dazzles Orioles In Stellar Return From Disabled List (newyork.cbslocal.com)
- Derek Jeter likely to miss “several games” with bruised knee (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
- Yankees To Trim Rotation After Red Sox; Burnett The Odd Man Out? (newyork.cbslocal.com)
