Sunday Night Baseball: Yankees at Red Sox
By Marc Lawrence
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-110, 9)
The first-place Yankees conclude their huge series against second-place Boston at Fenway Park in a battle for American League bragging rights.
A matchup of former Cy Young award winners pairs C.C. Sabathia (14-7 3.58 ERA) against Josh Beckett (14-4 3.38 ERA) in a premier pitching matchup Sunday evening.
Hit parade
In the first two games of this series there have been 62 total hits. New York won Game 1 with a 20-run, 23-hit explosion, taking a 20-11 victory.
In Game 2, the Yankees put 12 hits on the scoreboard but managed to cash in just one run - a solo home run from Nick Swisher. The Bronx Bombers fell 14-1 to the home-town BoSox, who hit four home runs and scored 13 of their 14 runs with two outs.
In the blink of an eye
At the All-Star break, the Red Sox led the Yankees by three games. Entering this weekend the Yankees were 7.5 games ahead.
That is a 10.5-game swing, in little more than a month.
"They're a really good team feeling real good about themselves." Boston manager Terry Francona said following the Yankees’ four-game sweep in the Bronx two weeks ago.
"This is a race that will go down to the end," countered Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "Is the lead surprising? Yes. Is it comfortable? No, because we have a long way to go."
Here we go again
Like last year with Milwaukee, Sabathia is heating up after the All-Star break.
The big lefty pitched eight strong innings for the second straight start while winning his fourth straight start in Oakland Tuesday. He allowed two runs on five hits, issuing one walk and recording seven strikeouts.
Sabathia has hurled at least seven innings in six of his last seven starts and looks like he's beginning another second-half hot streak.
Prior to Tuesday’s win, Sabathia had struggled throughout his career when returning to his hometown of Oakland, losing four times while posting a sky-high 7.12 ERA.
“C.C.'s just one of those guys who seems to get stronger down the stretch and that's a good thing,” commented Girardi.
S-W-I-S-H!
Yankees 1B Nick Swisher has clubbed 20 homers this season, but unlike many of his teammates, he has not taken advantage of the Yankees' homer-happy ballpark. Swisher has hit the majority of his home runs on the road, with only three coming at the new Yankee Stadium. He registered New York's only score in Game 2 with a solo home run.
Gimme five
There have been only five players in major league history who have hit 20 home runs in back-to-back years while also playing at least 30 games at both first base and third base.
Boston’s Kevin Youkilis gained entry into that club when he hit his 20th home run of the season this month, joining notable sluggers Harmon Killebrew, Mike Schmidt, Dave Kingman and Al Rosen.
Youkilis added two more dingers Saturday and totaled six RBIs in the Red Sox 14-1 victory.
Form and function
Beckett left Tuesday’s game in Toronto after 5.3 innings of work with the game tied at seven. He allowed seven earned runs in the game on nine hits, including three homers and a walk. Beckett gave up two more runs on Tuesday than he had in his previous four starts combined.
Sabathia is just 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA last 10 team starts versus Boston. Conversely, Beckett stands 7-2 with a 3.39 ERA in his last nine team starts against the Pinstripes.
No edge on Sundays: the Yankees are 8-3 last 11; the Red Sox 7-2 last nine home.
Sunday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)
Despite playing in the pitcher's paradise of Safeco Field, Hernandez continues to perform better and remains a better play on the road, where he has been next to untouchable.
The right-hander is 8-1 with a 1.92 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP on the road. In his last start at Detroit, he allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, but the Mariners lost a road game with him on the hill for the first time since May 14 at Texas.
Hernandez had not been priced higher than -136 on the road until this start.
David Price (Tampa Bay Rays)
Price has been nearly as good at home as Hernandez has been on the road. The left-hander has allowed more than two earned runs just once in eight starts at Tropicana Field.
Overall, Price is 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA at home. In his last five starts at the Trop, he is 5-0 with a 2.07 ERA. And he still believes he can do better.
"I went five innings; that's not what I wanted to do," Prioce told the team's web site after beating Baltimore in his last start. "I thought I had good stuff. I wish I could have commanded the zone a little bit better."
Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado Rockies)
How does the fireballing right-hander start getting the recognition he deserves? Outpitching Tim Lincecum would help.
It shouldn't be that hard. Jimenez has outpitched just about every National League hurler since the All-Star break. The Rockies are 6-1 in his seven starts and Jimenez has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of them.
Since the break, Jimenez is 5-0 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, allowing just three homers in 50 2-3 innings.
Debuting
John Smoltz (St. Louis Cardinals)
Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has fixed a lot of players in his career. This will be one of his true tests.
Smoltz will be making his first start for the Cardinals, who signed him after he was released by the Boston Red Sox. In eight starts for Boston, Smoltz gave up five or more earned runs six times, compiling an 8.32 ERA.
In his last four starts, the former Cy Young Award winner allowed four homers in 20 innings.
Slumping
Jason Berken (Baltimore Orioles)
The Orioles have lost 10 of the last 11 games started by Berken, who could lose his spot in the rotation once September call-ups arrive.
During that span, the righthander has not pitched more than six innings and has worked five frames or less six times. He is 1-8 with a 6.67 ERA.
In his last three outing, Berken has been prone to giving up the long ball, surrendering six in 16 2-3 innings.
Brian Bannister (Kansas City Royals)
Since pitching seven scoreless innings at Tampa Bay on Aug. 2, the right-hander has been absolutely hammered.
In three starts, Bannister has given up 20 earned runs and 26 hits in 17 innings. Throw in seven walks and his WHIP is 1.94.
Bannister has one win in seven starts since the All-Star break.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco (67-56) at Colorado (69-54)
A battle of the N.L.’s top wild-card contenders resumes when the Giants send ace right-hander Tim Lincecum (12-3, 2.37 ERA) against fellow righty Ubaldo Jimenez (11-9, 3.41) and the Rockies at Coors Field for the third game of a four-game set.
The Rockies rallied from a 6-1 fourth-inning deficit Saturday night to win a shootout 14-11, putting up seven runs in the sixth inning and four more in the seventh. The Rockies are on a 49-23 roll in their last 72 games and are on further upticks of 8-3 at home and 6-1 on Sunday, However, they are just 2-4 in their last six against winning teams.
The Giants are 2-5 in their last seven Sunday contests but are on a 4-2 overall run with two games left on their 11-game road trip. San Francisco still has a slim 5-4 edge in this rivalry in 2009, but the Giants are just 2-5 in Lincecum’s last seven starts against Colorado.
The Giants have won two in a row and four of five behind Lincecum, including an 8-5, 10-inning victory Tuesday at Cincinnati, despite the right-hander having a rough outing. He allowed five runs on six hits and three walks in six innings, getting a no-decision. Lincecum is 5-2 with a solid 2.82 ERA in 12 road starts this year, and he’s 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA in eight career starts against Colorado.
Jimenez has won his last four starts, going eight innings three times and allowing five earned runs in 30 2/3 innings in that four-game stretch for a 1.46 ERA, and Colorado has won in six of the righty’s last seven starts. On Tuesday at Washington, he allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk in eight innings of a 4-3 victory.
Jimenez is 6-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 home starts this year, and he’s 2-2 with a 2.44 ERA in seven career starts against San Francisco. The Rockies are also 10-4 in Jimenez’s last 14 home starts, but they are 1-4 in the 25-year-old’s last five Sunday outings.
The under for San Francisco is on rolls of 5-2 behind Lincecum, 4-1 on Sunday, 8-2-1 against righty starters and 21-11-4 in the National League West, and with Jimenez starting, the under is on runs for Colorado of 4-0 overall and 4-0 against winning teams. However, the over for the Rockies is on surges of 8-0-1 against winning teams and 5-1-2 at home, with last night’s tilt sailing over the posted price of 9½.
Finally, in this rivalry, the under is 5-2 in Jimenez’s last seven starts against the Giants, but with Lincecum hurling, the over is on stretches of 5-2-1 overall versus Colorado and 4-1 at Coors Field.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees (77-46) at Boston (70-52)
After a pair of blowouts in the first two games of this three-game weekend set, the Red Sox send Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.38 ERA) to the Fenway Park mound against CC Sabathia (14-7, 3.58) and the Yankees in a battle of aces at Fenway Park.
Boston, which got drubbed 20-11 Friday night, bounced back Saturday with a 14-1 beatdown, scoring seven runs over the first two innings and finishing with 14 hits. The Sox are on rolls of 38-17 at home and 30-14 at Fenway against lefty starters, but they are also just 4-7 in their last 11 A.L. East contests.
New York remains on tears of 39-14 overall, 9-3 on the highway, 24-8 in division play and 36-18 against winning teams. The Bronx Bombers lost the first eight games of the season to Boston, then won the next five before Saturday’s blowout loss. The Red Sox are 8-1 in the last nine Fenway clashes, and behind Beckett, the Sox are on runs against the Yanks of 7-2 overall and 4-1 at home.
The BoSox are 9-2 in Beckett’s last 11 starts, getting a 10-9 victory Tuesday at Toronto despite the 29-year-old allowing seven runs on nine hits (three homers) and a walk. Beckett is a perfect 8-0 with a 2.58 ERA in 11 home starts this season, and he’s 9-4 in 16 career starts against New York, despite a somewhat inflated 5.03 ERA. On Aug. 7 at New York, he threw seven shutout innings in a 2-0, 15-inning loss.
Boston is on additional hot streaks behind Beckett of 19-7 overall, 10-1 at home and 6-1 in division play.
Sabathia is 6-1 in his last seven starts, winning the last four in a row, and he’s allowed just three runs in 22 2/3 innings over his last three trips to the hill for a 1.19 ERA. On Tuesday, he allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in a 7-2 win at Oakland. The Yanks are on runs backing the southpaw of 5-2 on the road and 4-1 against winning teams.
Sabathia is 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 15 road starts this season, and he’s 3-5 with a 3.57 ERA in nine career starts against Boston. On Aug. 8, he threw 7 2/3 shutout innings in the Yanks’ 5-0 home victory.
In this rivalry, the under was on a 6-1-1 run at Fenway before the first two games of this series flew over the posted price. The over is on a 9-1 roll for Boston at home, and the over for New York is on surges of 6-1 against righties, 7-2 on the road against winning teams, 8-3-1 behind Sabathia and 7-1 in the southpaw’s last eight road starts.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER
Top-Spot
By SportsPic
New York Yankees destroying bitter rival Red Sox 20-11 on Friday suffered a little pay-back Saturday getting smacked 14-1 by the Bean-Town-Boys. Still, Bronx Bombers the Major Leagues best remain a scorching hot 15-5 (+$729) in August and 26-9 (+$1129) since the break. New York looks to increase their hold on the division with C.C. Sabathia (14-7, 3.58) in the finale. The southpaw perfect this month (4-0) and guiding his teams (NYY, Mil, CLE) to eleven straight August victories seems primed to do a number on BoSox. However, the lefty has not had success vs Boston going 1-1 in two appearance this season which brought his TSR to 3-8 vs BoSox including 1-4 at Fenway Park. Meanwhile Boston tries to gain a little more ground with Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.38) who is 2-0 in four starts vs New York (3-1 TSR) this year and owns a 7-2 TSR last nine vs Yankees. Red Sox 8-1 last nine hosting this series, 10-1 last eleven as home favorites with Beckett have been pegged -$1.10 favorites.
Yanks, Red Sox battle on ESPN
By AllStar.com
New York Yankees (77-46) At Boston Red Sox (70-52)
Line: Red Sox -116 / Yankees +106
Total: 9 Under -120 / Over +100
Yankees Road Record: 36-28
Red Sox Home Record: 39-19
Yankees Last 10: 7-3
Red Sox Last 10: 6-4
Pitchers:
CC Sabathia (NYY) 14-7 / 3.58 ERA / 140 K’s / 1.13 WHIP
Josh Beckett (BOS) 14-4 / 3.38 ERA / 149 K’s / 1.13 WHIPa
The ESPN Sunday night game will feature a premier pitching match up C.C. Sabathia against Josh Becket who both have 14 wins this season, it will decide who wins this important August series.
Yankees (76-45) have won seven of 10 games and all three series they’ve played. New York has won five straight series overall, is 14-3 since Aug. 2 and 25-8 since the All-Star break. The Yankees are 5-2 on their current road trip after taking three of four in Seattle and two of three in Oakland.
The Red Sox (69-52) have come out of their coma since the Yankees series, scoring 57 runs while going 7-3 against the Tigers, Rangers, and Blue Jays, and they are a different team in Fenway Park, with a home record of 38-19.
Derek Jeter has hit safely in each of the eight games on the road trip, batting .543 (19-for-35) during the streak. Jeter has four three-hit games in the last five, also leading off four of the past five games with hits in the top of the first.
Coming in to the series Friday night, Alex Rodriguez was in a 6-for-43 slump (.188), including one hit in his last 11 at-bats. In the first seven games of the road trip, Rodriguez was just 3-for-15. A-Rod went 4-4 in the Friday Opener and 1-3 Saturday in game two.
Hideki Matsui’s seven RBI Friday at Fenway represented a career-high. The only other Yankee to have seven RBI in a game at Fenway Park? Lou Gehrig.
Boston has scored five or more runs in eight of its past 11 contests, good for a 6.3 run per-game average.
David Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, two walks and three runs in Tuesday's win over the Blue Jays. Ortiz is now hitting seventh in Boston's order, he has homered in four of his last seven games.
Victor Martinez has batted third since Aug. 1, the day after he was acquired from Cleveland, and from which he has hit .316 with five home runs and a team-leading 16 RBI.
J.D. Drew, is now the No. 8 hitter and he responded Thursday night in Toronto by going four for four with two home runs, the best night of his career statistically.
Mike Lowell has been hot in his last 10 games with 11 hits, 4 homers, and 11 RBI.
The 31 runs between the two teams Friday are the most in a single game in the history of the rivalry.
Boston leads the season series, 9-5, which includes a 7-1 mark at Fenway...Swisher has reached base safely in 30 straight games...The Red Sox have hit multiple homers in eight straight games, which sets a franchise record. The Red Sox have 39 homers in August...New York went 0-for-9 with RISP and left 13 men on base in Saturdays game. Boston went 7-for-11 with RISP and stranded three runners Saturday.
C.C. Sabathia improved to 14-7 Tuesday when he held the A's to just two runs over eight innings. Sabathia gave up just five hits, walked only one and struck one seven in the win. He has a 3.58 ERA and 1.12 WHIP on the season and is 6-1 over his last seven starts. He has posted a 2.35 ERA and held opponents to a .185 batting average in 30 2/3 innings this month, including 7 2/3 scoreless frames of two-hit ball against the Red Sox on Aug. 8 in a 5-0 Yankees win. Sabathia will be making his first start at Fenway Park since June 11, when he allowed four runs and six hits over seven innings to take a 4-3 loss.
Josh Beckett allowed a season-high three home runs in a sub par outing, earning a no-decision in a 10-9 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Rogers Centre. He gave up seven earned runs in only 5 1/3 innings, marking his highest earned run total and fewest innings pitcher since April. He allowed nine hits but walked only one, striking out four. Beckett had a 15-inning scoreless streak on the road snapped when the Jays scored in the second frame. It was an atypical start for Beckett, who had allowed three or fewer runs in 15 of his last 18 starts, going 14-4 with an ERA of 2.17. The Red Sox ace is 2-0 in four starts against the Yankees this year, with an ERA of 4.13.
Betting Trends:
Yankees are 8-0 in their last 8 games as an underdog
Yankees are 4-0 in CC Sabathia’s last 4 starts
Red Sox are 10-1 in their last 11 games as a favorite
Red Sox are 19-7 in Josh Beckett’s last 26 starts
The OVER is 7-1 in CC Sabathia’s last 8 road starts