Ortiz, BoSox fired up for second game at Yanks
Things got testy in the waning stages of last night’s Red Sox-Yankees series opener. Surprisingly, the powder keg of emotion was not ignited by a player on either of the two fierce division rivals.
Rather, home plate umpire Ron Kulpa invoked the ire of Boston’s David Ortiz, who was tossed after striking out in the ninth. New York’s Andrew Miller then fanned Hanley Ramirez to secure the host team’s 3-2 victory, but the majority of conversation thereafter centered on the meme-ready histrionics of a certain designated hitter.
Neither team will have had much rest entering this afternoon’s middle contest. It’s a quick turnaround in the Bronx, with a 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI are hesitant to favor Joe Girardi’s troops for a second straight day, listing them as 1.5-run underdogs. The over/under total sits at seven runs.
Boston’s preferential treatment has everything to do with David Price’s (4-0, 6.14 ERA) presence on the mound. Even though the lefty surrendered six runs and eight hits to the Yanks (10-17) earlier in the week, he’s been extremely good away from Fenway Park. Price boasts a 2.57 ERA in two road assignments, walking four and recording 24 punchouts in 14 innings.
On the other side, Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 5.46) hopes to rebound from Sunday’s disconcerting performance vs. the Red Sox (17-12). The veteran righty got battered for 10 base knocks and six runs across five frames. He actually holds a 5.73 career ERA and 1.68 WHIP in four previous turns against John Farrell’s squad, with Dustin Pedroia (.555 batting average) and Hanley Ramirez (.375) experiencing particular success in those head-to-head meetings.
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Price is likely to settle in sooner rather than later, but we’re not certain that his first tour with Boston improves here. These offenses are primed to perform much better with men in scoring position than what we observed about 12 hours ago. Prepare for a steady supply of runs and a matinee dandy.
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