The Boston Red Sox play host to the New York Yankees on Friday night from Fenway Park in the opener of a crucial weekend series between the AL East rivals. The Yankees still find themselves atop the division but have certainly cooled off of late, casting some doubt going forward. For the Red Sox, last place in the division isn't exactly where they expected to find themselves and are looking to jumpstart things in this one. The Yankees have dominated the season series thus far and even though they'll be heading on the road in this one, it seems liekly that they keep those wins coming.
The Yankees have spent much of the season so far sitting not only atop the division but atop the American League, though the last month has seen them fade back towards the pack. They only have two wins in their last ten games and are coming off of back-to-back losses as they set their sights on Friday night. Even their road record has taken a hit this season, where they are only a few games over .500. Having won two in a row against the Red Sox as they head into this one, should give them a slight bit of confidence and momentum as they aim to right the ship.
The injuries have started to mount for this group, which seems to be coming at an inopportune time. Positionally, Giancarlo Stanton (Achilles), Matt Carpenter (foot), and Harrison Bader (foot) all remain out. Adding to that are three relievers and three starters out as well, casting some doubt over an already questionable pitching staff.
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— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 10, 2022
According to MLB.com, Domingo German will get the ball for the Yankees as the inconsistent righty looks to get things started on the weekend. He comes into this one with a 1-2 record and 5.09 ERA but since making his return to the team, hasn't allowed more than two runs in three of his last four starts. His inability to go deep into games is troublesome but given his experience against Boston, he'll have an idea of how to navigate this lineup.
Having one of baseball's best lineups continues to help this team and should play a huge role on the weekend. They come into this one ranked second in baseball in runs and OPS, while sitting first in home runs. The power has helped to mask the mediocre average and strikeout rate, which could be problematic on Friday after a day off. Aaron Judge (.304 average, 45 HRs, 99 RBI) is having an MVP season and if he gets going on Friday, it could be all this offense needs to turn things around . Despite the losses, this lineup has a handful of guys at or around .300 over the last week, which should give them plenty of confidence in this one.