Blood rivals will get busy for the second time this weekend, with the Boston Red Sox (31-32) in the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees (37-27) under the bright lights. Friday night's meeting was the first of the season between these clubs, who will play each other again next weekend. This rivalry is introducing new players, with Anthony Volpe and Masataka Yoshida getting a chance to etch their names in a history of hatred. Game two of this set is starting on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. EDT. Yankee Stadium is opening its doors for fans to voice their feelings.
Masataka Yoshida gets his first taste of Red Sox vs. Yankees tonight – following a long line of Japanese-born players to make an impact in The Rivalry. pic.twitter.com/RQanGvD4qg
— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2023
Losing five of six entering this series made Boston the only AL East team without a winning record. Accordingly, they're 5.0 games out of the final AL Wild-Card spot. Their issues this season stem from a pitching staff that is 26th in ERA. The bullpen is nothing special but improved from a year ago. Starting pitching is what will make or break this team, and Tanner Houck is up on Saturday. He has the second-most innings pitched on the 2023 Red Sox but with a 5.46 ERA. Boston has lost his last five starts, and he has allowed 22 runs in 31.2 innings since May began. If there's any silver lining, he has a 2.28 ERA in 27.2 career innings against the Yankees.
Batting has been synonymous with Boston forever, and this year hasn't proven any different. The club is sixth in r uns per game this year, even as they enter this series amid a slump. In the aforementioned 1-5 stretch that preceded this series, they only put up 15 total runs. Still, this is a team that's sixth in strikeout rate, fifth in OBP, and seventh in slugging percentage. They can bust out of this slump at a moment's notice.
BAM! Scott Steehn found a great opportunity to jumpstart your bankroll and he's sharing the secret with you. Click here to find out more!