In what is one of the most well-known rivalries in all of the sports, the Boston Red Sox will play host to the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on Friday night.
It will be the opener of a three-game bill, and these two clubs won’t see each other again after that for more than a month.
It will be the final leg of a three-city tour for the Yankees (71-41), who passed through St. Louis and Seattle previously. The trip hasn’t been kind — and neither has the past week.
Bronx Bombers
The Bronx Bombers have dropped seven of their last eight contests. Since the second half got underway, the Yanks have fallen back to Earth, posting a 7-13 record since the All-Star break.
Houston has surpassed them as the team with the most wins in the American League, but New York still holds a comfortable lead in the AL East division.
The Yankees have a 10-game lead on the Toronto Blue Jays but will need to stop the bleeding some if they want to stay that far ahead.
Arch-Rival
Boston (55-58) can’t say it’s been doing all that much better than its arch-rival. Before a 4-3 win over Baltimore on Thursday, the Red Sox had lost six of seven — including a two-game sweep at the hands of Atlanta.
Still, only 4.5 contests separate the team from a playoff spot, as Boston is in the middle of the wild card race.
- Orioles
- Minnesota
- Twins
- Chicago White Sox
Are also striving for the playoff berth, which currently belongs to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox tout a top-10 offense when it comes to hitting the ball.
Their .253 team average grades out as the seventh-best of the MLB teams. Their total runs scored sits within that same threshold.
Leads the Lineup
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts leads the lineup with a .309 batting average and a .379 on-base percentage. Third baseman Rafael Devers has provided some power, clubbing 24 homers and pushing 60 runs across. He’s hitting just three ticks below Bogaerts.
Designated J.D. Martinez, who a lot of people thought would be shipped off before the deadline, remains. His 44 RBIs are the fourth-most on the team.
Over the last week, left fielder Alex Verdugo has heated up, swinging for a .450 average over his last 20 plate appearances.
Left fielder Tommy Pham and first baseman Eric Hosmer — both brought over in trades — are hitting .222 and .167, respectively, during that same time frame.
Second baseman Trevor Story could bring a little more life to the crew, but he’s still out with a wrist injury at the moment.
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Odds
Yankees vs. Red Sox odds for today favor the guests. New York is -1.5 on the run line at +134, while the Red Sox are -162 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Yankees are -126 and Boston a +108 underdog. The total has been set at 9.5 runs, with the over being -110 and the under the same at the time of this writing.
For having so much success this season, the Yankees are a relatively average bunch at the plate. The team’s .244 collective batting average ranks 14th in the major leagues, but their power has been a huge help.
They have 20 more home runs this season than the next closest team, in the Braves. New York has also pinned up the most runs of any other club in the bigs.
Aaron Judge Analysis
Right fielder Aaron Judge came into the season betting on himself, hoping to earn himself a few more boatloads of cash. The risk has certainly paid off, as he’s leading the crew in every major statistical batting category.
His 45 homers, 99 RBIs, and 1.078 OPS are the best of any individual at the top level of the sport. He’s hitting .304 and owns a .396 on-base percentage.
Behind him, third baseman D.J LeMahieu and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa are the most consistent members of the order, having posted .283 and .265 batting averages, respectively.
Giancarlo Stanton’s Achilles
Right fielder Matt Carpenter, who joined the team a few months into the season, is dealing with a foot injury, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton’s Achilles is bothering him.
That duo has been important, too, as the former is hitting .305 in 47 games played. The latter has 24 dingers.
Both have slugged double-digit long balls, a group that also includes the second baseman Gleyber Torres, LeMahieu, and third baseman Josh Donaldson.
Red Sox vs. Yankees Betting Preview
Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will venture out onto the mound for the home team, sporting a 5-3 record and a 4.23 ERA to this point in the summer.
Having helped the Red Sox to victory in five straight starts from May through July, his roll has slowed since being drubbed by Toronto out of the vacation.
In each of his last three outings, though, he’s gone at least six frames. Against Kansas City Saturday, he allowed seven hits and gave up four earned runs. It was the third time Eovaldi’s side had lost in his previous four showings.
Opposing him on the rubber will be New York’s Domingo German, the owner of a 1-2 record and 5.09 ERA over four starts this campaign.
Recent Trends
If recent trends hold true, this might be the chance for Eovaldi to get back on track for Boston.
German hasn’t pitched for more than five innings at a time this season. He has conceded 21 knocks in 17.2 total frames.
He was a tough-luck loser against the Cardinals Saturday, coming out on the wrong side of a low-scoring, 1-0 affair on the road at Busch Stadium.
Red Sox vs. Yankees Picks and Predictions
Now that it’s time to make some free MLB picks let’s break this one down. The Yankees’ German hasn’t exactly been the strongest hurler this year, and a few key offensive pieces are currently on the shelf.
Judge has been great this schedule, but he can’t do it all himself. Go against the grain with these odds MLB.
Boston Offense
Eovaldi and the Boston offense will make things hard on their foes, who just haven’t been able to get much going recently.
With that in mind, bet on the Red Sox to win outright, getting this divisional slate off on the right foot.
MLB Pick: Red Sox 1.5 (-155)
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