Boston will try to end the first half of the season on a high note when it hosts rival New York on Sunday afternoon. The Red Sox got off to a nice start in the series, picking up a 5-4 win in 11 innings, which marked their third straight win over the Yankees. New York had lost five out of its last six games heading into Saturday’s contest—this story was published prior to that game.
Boston got off to a slow start this season going 14-22 through the middle of May. The Red Sox responded with a six-game winning streak and then added a pair of seven-game winning streaks in June. They have struggled with consistency in July, though, losing 10 out of their first 15 games. Surprisingly, three of those five wins have come against New York. The Red Sox were swept in a four-game series at Tampa Bay earlier this week before snapping that skid with a 5-4 win in 11 innings on Friday. They are in fourth place in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 14.5 games. However, they are tied with Toronto for the final AL Wild Card spot.
Coming soon to The Hall. pic.twitter.com/Ie80nkVdBc
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 15, 2022
The Red Sox have been outstanding offensively, ranked third in the majors in batting average (.258). Third baseman Rafael Devers leads the way with 111 hits and 54 RBIs, hitting 21 home runs. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts has 103 base knocks, while designated hitter J.D. Martinez has 96 hits. They will be facing a New York pitching staff that is No. 3 with an ERA of 3.11. Left-handed pitcher Chris Sale is going to take the mound for Boston on Sunday. He made his 2022 debut on Tuesday against Tampa Bay, allowing three hits and one walk across five scoreless innings. Sale had not started a game since Game 5 of the ALCS last year due to a right rib stress fracture. He posted a 2.38 ERA across 11 innings in his minor league rehab starts.