|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 3, 2021 21:51:28 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Yankees Friday 4th June 2021 7pm @ Boogie Down
Eovaldi 6-2/4.01
For the 3rd straight start will face a former team. Lifetime at YS, Eovaldi is 10-6/3.86.
Mike King 0-2/2.86
will be making his 2nd straight start after being used out of the pen. In his last game he took the loss vs the Tigers allowing 4 runs in just over 2 IP.
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Friday, June 4, 2021 at 7:05pm EDT Written by Eric P.
The Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night from Yankee Stadium. These two AL East rivals have yet to meet this season, but Boston has to be excited to get back on the field after how dominant the Yankees were in the series last season. In 2020, New York took 11 out of 12 games against the Red Sox and have taken 14 of the last 15 games dating back to 2019. Boston comes in riding a little bit of momentum after winning the series finale against Houston Thursday and are 5-5 in their last ten games, sitting two games behind the Rays. The Yankees have struggled of late, going 3-7 in their last ten games and sit four and a half games behind the Rays in the crowded AL East standings. These two rivals have been waiting all season to meet this week and a lot for both teams will be riding on how the weekend goes. Which team will start things off with a win on Friday night?
Red Sox Back In Win Column The Red Sox struggled through the first three games of the Houston series but came out on Thursday ready to make things happen, winning 5-1 behind a masterpiece on the mound behind Martin Perez. The offense, which is still one of the best in baseball statistically, has struggled to score of late, failing to score more than five runs in any of their last six games. Unlike many of their opponents, Boston can't blame injuries for their lackluster performances of late, with nobody on the IL who is a starter in the field.
Thursday was a great game to get Xander Bogaerts back into hitting form. Bogaerts, who led the team in hitting for much of the beginning of the year and still is hitting .312, was 0-16 in his last 16 at-bats and broke out of that was a 2-5 performance with two RBI on Thursday. The other two forces in the lineup have been J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers, who have jockeyed for position in the team leaderboard. Both players are candidates for the MVP so far and lead the team in all five major offensive categories. Martinez leads the team in batting average (.322), OBP (.391), and hits (66). Devers leads the team in home runs (14) and RBI (43), the latter of which is fourth-best in baseball.
According to MLB.com, the hard-throwing righty, Nathan Eovaldi, will get the start against the Yankees for the first time this season. On the season, Eovaldi is 6-2 with a 4.01 ERA across 11 starts but has brought down both his WHIP and H/9. Most impressively, Eovaldi leads baseball in only allowing 0.1 home runs per nine innings, allowing only one all season so far. He's coming off back-to-back strong starts, grabbing a win each of the last two starts, allowing only two runs and nine hits across 10.2 innings of work.
Last year Eovaldi only made one start against the Yankees, taking the loss back in August. That start ended up being his worst start of the season, allowing eight runs and nine hits across 5.1 innings. In 2019 he made four appearances against New York, three of those out the bullpen. According to ESPN, New York hitters have 102 at-bats against him all-time, with 26 hits, good for a .368 average.
Yankees Fading Away The Yankees started May as one of the hottest teams in baseball to climb back into the race in the AL East, but a tough last week, including a sweep at the hands of the Tigers, has the panic button almost set in. The Yankees have dominated the series over the last year and should enter with confidence despite their current form of play. Injuries also haven't been the kindest to the Yankees, with Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, and Luke Voit, all either questionable for the weekend or on the IL. Without those three big bats, the offense is bound to take a step back, but even their current offensive production is concerning.
With the injuries so far, Aaron Judge has become a one-man wrecking crew for the offense, leading across every major offensive category. He leads the team in batting average (.289), home runs (13), RBI (30), OBP (.390), and hits (55). Stanton's nine home runs will be missed, especially with Clint Frazier and his lowly .184 batting average getting more and more run of late. Over the last seven days, Rougned Odor has stepped his game up, hitting .304, while Gary Sanchez leads the team over that span with a .389 average. If those two can keep it up, along with Judge providing power in the middle of the order, the Yankees might be able to find runs yet along.
According to MLB.com, Michael King will get the ball on Friday night as the Yankees continue to navigate injuries to some key cogs in the rotation.
On the season, King is 0-2 with a 2.86 ERA and this will be only his second start of the season after coming out of the bullpen to start the season. King has faced the Red Sox only once in his career, coming last season in a Yankee win. In that game, he came out of the bullpen, allowing two runs and two hits in 3.2 innings of work.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 3, 2021 21:56:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 3, 2021 22:13:20 GMT -5
After he forces Red Sox’ hand, Brandon Workman is promoted to major league roster By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 3, 2021, 3:26 p.m.
The Red Sox called up righthander Brandon Workman from Worcester Thursday, and he joined the team in Houston for their series finale against the Astros.
Workman signed a minor league deal with the Sox early last month after he was released by the Cubs. He had an opt-out in his Sox contract and exercised it earlier this week. The Sox decided to select Workman’s contract and expect him to play a role in the bullpen going forward.
“We expect him to be here,” manager Alex Cora said Thursday morning before the Red Sox’ 5-1 win against the Astros. “And he’s ready to pitch, so we’ll find spots for him. We’ll find matchups that benefit him and us, and we’ll get him going.”
Workman is no stranger to the Red Sox, after spending parts of six seasons (2013-20) with the club. Last August, he was traded to the Phillies in the deal that brought Nick Pivetta to Boston. He became a free agent after last season and signed with the Cubs in February.
Workman pitched in 14 games for the Phillies, going 1-4 with a 6.92 ERA. He saw action in 10 games with the Cubs, going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA.
He had a breakout year in 2019 as the Red Sox’ closer, when he logged 71⅔ innings, fanned 104 batters, and registered a 1.88 ERA. He had 16 saves.
The Red Sox are hoping some familiarity can help get him back on track.
“Obviously, being familiar, it works in every aspect in your job,” Cora said. “Knowing people and knowing your surroundings. This is where he grew up playing baseball.
“He can perform, hopefully, the way he pitched in ’19,” Cora said. “If he does that, we’re going to be in great shape, but at the same time, [we want him] to do his job. That’s all we want.”
Workman’s 12-6 curveball can give opposing clubs a headache when it is at its best. In 2019, opponents had just a .128 batting average against that pitch. But the success of Workman’s curveball, and his overall effectiveness in general, is largely dictated by his fastball velocity. That same year, Workman’s average four-seamer velocity was 92.9 m.p.h., but dropped to 92.5 m.p.h. then 91.5 in 2021.
“With him, velocity is very important,” Cora said at the beginning of May. “The shape of the breaking ball and the spin is usually the same. It’s still a good breaking ball, but if he doesn’t have something else to separate he becomes a one-pitch pitcher. His cutter is a part of the equation, too.”
Workman worked the final inning vs. the Astros Sunday. He allowed a run on a Yuli Gurriel homer while also striking out two.
To make room on the roster, pitcher Colten Brewer was designated for assignment. Hernández questions loom large
Kiké Hernández had the day off Thursday. Cora felt as if Hernández, who is in the midst of an 0-for-24 skid, was in need of a mental breather. Nonetheless, that won’t stop the questions centered around Hernández and if he should remain in the leadoff spot or not.
To this point it’s been clear, and perhaps, low-hanging fruit: Hernández is a liability batting leadoff. He’s hitting just .228 on the year with a .284 on-base percentage in 43 games.
“He is aggressive. He is relentless,” hitting coach Tim Hyers said. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got. And so I think that has hurt him lately. Maybe chasing some pitches that he shouldn’t and missing balls that have been in the strike zone that he should hit.”
Hyers noted that Hernández does an excellent job of working the count, but as soon as it gets to 3-2, the at-bat gets away from him. Hernández owns a .091 batting average in 3-2 counts striking out 10 times. Heading into the season, the Sox and Cora believed that Hernández, who was a bench player for the Dodgers, had the potential to be an everyday guy. That might still be true, but what has remained clear for much of the season is the fact that Hernández represents a huge hole in the No. 1 spot in the order.
“I know he wants to get on base more. We just have to find a way to make that happen,” Hyers said. Team USA rained out
Team USA’s final game of pool play vs. Puerto RIco in the Americas Qualifier was canceled in the fourth inning Thursday due to rain.
Team USA led Puerto Rico at that point, 6-1.
Prior to the cancellation, Triston Casas was 1 for 1 with a single, walk, and two runs scored. Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 in the contest.
The game is not official and will not be counted.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 3, 2021 22:14:57 GMT -5
Despite Yankees’ puzzling lack of offense, spirited series with Red Sox expected By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated June 3, 2021, 7:09 p.m.
For the past two years, the scales between the Red Sox and the Yankees had been tilted too drastically to identify the games as part of a rivalry.
In 2019, the Yankees went 14-5 against the Sox. In the empty ballparks of 2020, New York won nine of 10 games between the two. The Red Sox’ combined 6-23 record translated to a .207 winning percentage against the Yankees over those two years — the worst two-year record by one team against the other in the 118 years in which they’ve faced off.
With the Red Sox missing the playoffs in each of the last two years, it’s been a long time since the two teams had anything close to an eye-to-eye encounter with anything meaningful on the line. That imbues this weekend’s three-game series between the teams with a layer of intrigue.
When the teams take the field on Friday, the Yankees (31-26) will be looking up in the standings at the Red Sox (33-23), with both teams in pursuit of the Rays (36-22) and mindful of the Blue Jays (29-25) in a clustered AL East. The proximity of the teams doesn’t seem like it’s created a case of the warm-and-fuzzies.
“We don’t like those guys. They don’t like us,” said Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner. “[There will be] a lot of energy. Having fans back in the stands will be fun.”
The competitive relevance of both teams and the return of fans will change the dynamics of the games from recent years. But so, too, will the unusual nature of a vexing Yankees team that inspires a confused inquiry: What in the name of Steve Balboni is happening in the Bronx?
After their 9-2 loss to the Rays on Thursday, the Yankees ranked 27th in the majors with 3.73 runs per game. Only once before in the DH era — in 1990, when the lineup featured a lot of Álvaro Espinoza (.532 OPS) and Bob Geren (.584) as well as a hearty dose of Deion Sanders (.507) and, of course, the Brockton-born Balboni (.694) — had a Yankees lineup been so run-deficient to this point in a season.
“Look at my eyes. I’ve got bags under them. I don’t sleep,” Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames said this week. “It needs to turn around. It hasn’t been pretty at all. That’s the biggest elephant in the room everywhere — the offense, the offense, the offense. I know that.”
The Yankees have seen their team line fall from .267/.339/.490 in 2019 to .247/.342/.447 in 2020 to .228/.317/.372 this year. Their strikeout rate has jumped from 21.7 percent last year to 25.1 percent this year, while their typical ability to offset their contact woes with power when they do make contact has fallen off considerably — perhaps a reflection of changes that MLB made to reduce the flight of flyballs this year.
“It’s not 2019 gorilla baseball anymore,” suggested Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
Aside from Aaron Judge (.922 OPS) and Giancarlo Stanton (.814 OPS, but 1 for 16 with 9 strikeouts since returning from the injured list), the Yankees’ lineup has been dreadful. The team has six regulars with an OPS below .700 in at least 100 plate appearances.
Still, Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism that players such as D.J. LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres will rebound from their poor starts.
“You seen the guys on our team? That gives me a lot of confidence. They’re guys who are really talented, really care what they’re doing, and have a track record of doing it,” said Boone. “Hitting in 2021 is probably as hard as it’s ever been, but I have a lot of faith in those guys that we’re really going to get it going.”
While many Yankees hitters are struggling, spectacular pitching has kept the team in the middle of the AL East race. The team’s 3.25 ERA thus far is its lowest through 57 games since 1981 (3.18).
The rotation features a solid 3.56 ERA (10th in MLB), driven by mostly standout work from Gerrit Cole (6-3, 2.26) and solid efforts from Corey Kluber, Domingo Germán, and Jordan Montgomery — though with the caveat that a shoulder injury for Kluber has the starting staff in flux. (New York wasn’t prepared to identify a Friday starter leading into Thursday’s game.)
Meanwhile, despite the absence of key setup options such as Zack Britton and Darren O’Day, the Yankees bullpen once again is overpowering opponents, forging a 2.82 ERA (best in the AL) as a group. Aroldis Chapman (4-0, 0.41 ERA, 42 strikeouts in 22 innings) has been the most dominant reliever in baseball.
“Our pitching has been everything we could have hoped for at this point,” said Boone. “I think the starters have been really solid. The bullpen has been excellent.”
The combination of excellent pitching and poor offensive production has created an unusual pattern for the Yankees. New York has the most wins in baseball (10) when scoring three runs or fewer — a surprising turn of events for a team that’s more often out-slugged opponents over the last 25 years.
Still, while the types of games being played by the Yankees this year have been different from recent seasons, meaning may return to the contests.
“Being in the middle of the whole thing, people are going to be watching,” said Cora. “They are where they are in the standings. We are where we are in the standings. They have a good team. We have a good team. … We have to be ready for a fun weekend. It should be loud, it should be fun. It’s Yankees-Red Sox, and people are going to be watching.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 3:07:24 GMT -5
Red Sox, Yankees finally renew AL East rivalry
A scheduling quirk gave the New York Yankees 13 games against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox 10 games against the Baltimore Orioles in the first two months of the season.
The odd scheduling in the opening two months featured no games between the Red Sox and Yankees, but that changes Friday night when the rivals commence a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees have dominated the series of late, winning 23 of 29 meetings since being eliminated by Boston in the 2018 American League Division Series. New York also has won 15 of 16 home meetings since then, including the past 11.
New York has hardly resembled a team that has dominated anyone of late. The Yankees played one of their worst games of the season when they dropped a 9-2 decision to Tampa Bay on Thursday afternoon. They enter the series with seven losses in their past 10 games, following a 22-8 run from April 22 to May 23.
On Thursday, solo homers by Brett Gardner and Miguel Andujar accounted for New York's offense. The Yankees mustered six hits and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position without seeing a pitch over 90 mph.
It marked the 10th time in 15 games the Yankees were held to two runs or fewer. During their 10-game slide, they are 8-for-60 (.133) with runners in scoring position. A few key regulars are slumping at the same time.
Giancarlo Stanton, who was rested Thursday, is 1-for-16 with nine strikeouts since returning from a strained quadriceps last Friday. DJ LeMahieu is in a 9-for-49 (.184) slide since May 19, and Gio Urshela is in a 4-for-27 skid.
"I'm frustrated that we didn't go out and get it done today," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. "But you also have to get past it right now and know we've got a big one starting this weekend."
The Red Sox are playing better than the team that was outscored 50-23 in seven visits to the Bronx in the pandemic-shortened season. Boston has been at least five games over .500 since April 25, though it also encountered some offensive struggles in dropping three of four at Houston.
The Red Sox were outscored 18-4 in the first three games before salvaging the finale with a 5-1 win on Thursday afternoon. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run double to end an 0-for-24 skid but still enters this series with a .312 batting average.
"Happy flight is what we call it," said Red Sox second baseman Christian Arroyo, who hit a two-run homer Thursday. "Take this momentum, keep it rolling and roll into the next series."
Friday will mark the first meeting between the teams since Boston manager Alex Cora was reinstated following his one-year suspension for his role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal in 2017, when he was the bench coach.
"I think he's really good at what he does," Boone said of Cora. "I know he paid a significant price, but he's one of the really good managers out there."
New York's Michael King (0-2, 2.86 ERA) will make his sixth career start and second this season. Born in Rochester, N.Y., although he attended high school in New England (Warwick, R.I.), the right-hander is 0-3 with a 8.27 ERA as a starting pitcher and allowed four runs (two earned) in 2 1/3 innings Sunday in a 6-2 loss at Detroit.
King is 1-0 with a 4.05 ERA in two career appearances, both in relief, against Boston.
Former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi (6-2, 4.01) starts for Boston and is looking to win three straight starts for the second time this season.
His last outing was last Friday, a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins in which he allowed four hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. It marked the fifth time Eovaldi allowed one run or fewer.
Eovaldi is 1-2 with a 3.58 ERA in nine career appearances (six starts) against New York.
--Field Level Media
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 3:14:26 GMT -5
How is this shaping up for broadcasting this week end? Funny u should ask..... Tonight, likely Mike Kay.
Saturday....the clowns at FOX
Sunday....ESPN....and yep....A-rod.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 7:45:29 GMT -5
I am not a weather man however I try and dazzle my daughter with useless crap and Saturday and Sunday night look fine I think they play tonight but it could be a long damn night
Yankees-Red Sox weather report: Rain, thunderstorms in forecast today at Yankee Stadium (6/4/21) Updated 7:07 AM; Today 5:15 AM Yankee Stadium rain
Groundkeepers at Yankee Stadium might need the tarp for Friday's game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.AP By Mike Rosenstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Finally.
The New York Yankees face the Boston Red Sox for the first time this season on Friday when the long-time rivals open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. But they might be dodging rain drops tonight in the Bronx.
Want to bet on MLB?
Get free bets, risk-free bets and enhanced odds offers from the best licensed NJ sports betting sites.
See the best NJ Sports Betting sites
Here’s the latest forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers
The Yankees avoided the rain Thursday, but not a loss, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-2.
Heading into Friday’s game against the Red Sox, the Yankees are in third place in the American League East, 2.5 games behind the Red Sox and 4.5 games behind the Rays.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 7:48:55 GMT -5
Some ESPN in the waiting wisdom from Gardner here this guy is still a big ass clown
Yankees, Red Sox ‘don’t like’ each other, veteran says Today 6:15 AM
By Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
NEW YORK — Yankees-Rays may not have replaced Yankees-Red Sox as the most intense rivalry in the American League East.
Veteran outfielder Brett Gardner said there’s no love lost between New York and Boston.
“Listen,” Gardner said before the Yankees fell to the Rays, 9-2, at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. “They don’t like us. We don’t like them.”
Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers
The Red Sox will visit the Bronx on Friday for a three-game set — the first meeting between the clubs all season.
It hasn’t been all that close lately between the teams. The Yankees have beaten Boston in 12 straight games, dating back to Sept. 17, 2019. It’s tied for their longest winning streak over the Red Sox in franchise history. They also did it from 1952-1953.
The Yankees are also 17-2 in their last 19 meetings with the Red Sox, having gone 9-1 vs. them last season.
But the Yankees are also looking up at Boston.They’re in third place in the AL East at 31-26, 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Rays (36-22). Boston (33-23) sits at second place, two games behind Tampa.
“We haven’t seen too much of them this year so it will be interesting to have them come into to and look forward to those games,” Gardner said, “whether they’re here in the Bronx or up in Fenway. A lot of energy and having fans back in the stands this year will be fun. It’ll be a good matchup. We look forward to playing well against them.”
Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, TicketSmarter
Gardner said he was “halfway joking” when he said that having Alex Cora — one of the primary architects of the 2017 Astros cheating scandal — back in Boston’s dugout made the Yankees want to beat their Massachusetts rivals more.
“But obviously he had a lot of success over in Houston,” Gardner said, “and led the Red Sox to the World Series a couple years ago, and they’re playing well this year. Like I said, it’ll be a good battle and it will be fun.”
Manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees are still trying to improve “a little bit of everything” after splitting a four-game set with the Rays.
“I think we’re competing well,” Boone said, “we’re doing some things well, but I don’t think we’re near where we need to be or where I think we’re going to get as a club. We need to keep grinding away, keep making improvements in all areas. We need to keep getting better. We’re not a complete product yet. Still very much believe in what we’re capable of doing, what we will do, the team we ultimately will become but we’ve got to keep working at it to get there.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 7:55:03 GMT -5
This is refreshing as all the writers down in NY and the drones at MLB network/ ESPN all fawned over the Yankees in Spring Training I said all along that they were a "Meh" team.
There is nothing as nice as the sound of boos in the Boogie Down.
As Red Sox come to town, it feels like Yankees are on a long, flat road to nowhere | Klapisch Today 8:01 AM
By Bob Klapisch | For NJ Advance Media
NEW YORK – It’s never a good sign when a manager out-hustles his team, which is the best way to summarize the Yankees’ dreadful performance in a 9-2 loss to the Rays Thursday. Aaron Boone got more action from his forehead vein than from his lineup – or, for that matter, from Gerrit Cole.
Turning the page has become Boone’s favorite escape mechanism in this unsatisfying season: minimize, gloss, move on. He was at it again post-wipeout, focusing on this weekend’s showdown with the Red Sox. Boone has a distinctly Mr. Rogers quality about him in bleak moments, friendly and reassuring. But deep down he’s aware of the glaring flaw in his dugout: the Yankees, who did no better than a split of the four games with the Rays, are going nowhere.
It’s already June and instead of the superpower-status the Bombers had envisioned, they’ve become a billboard of mediocrity. One major league executive put it bluntly the other day when he said, “the Yankees just don’t have that ‘it’ factor this year.”
Think of it another way: a club with serious plans for October would’ve seized the opportunity to finish off the Rays in the series finale. The Yankees were less than 24 hours removed from an exciting 4-3 win on Wednesday, launched by Clint Frazier’s walk-off home run in the 11th inning. The Yankees could’ve inched to within 2.5 games of first place with a follow-up masterpiece from Cole. But the result wasn’t even close.
Cole was lit up for five runs in five innings, turning the second half of the afternoon into garbage time. There were a number of reasons why Cole looked so hittable, but Boone was more upset with home plate umpire Chad Whitson’s strike zone than, say, the fact that Yankees were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Or that the Yankees’ predominantly right-handed hitting lineup couldn’t lay a finger on lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who threw the Rays’ first complete game in five years.
No, it was Whitson who lit Boone’s fuse. Down 9-1 in the seventh, Boone planted himself in Whitson’s face and put on a credible performance of waving, gesturing, finger-pointing and epithets. On a scale of, say, one to Lou Piniella, it wasn’t half-bad. Boone admitted, “I said some things that you can’t get away with and got (ejected).”
Was it an act? Of course, harmlessly timed with the game already out of reach. All managers perform, sometimes for the fans, others times for their players in their own dugout. In this case Boone, desperate to wake up the tranquilized Yankees, had to do ... something. OK, to be fair, Whitson did have a lousy game; Cole was squeezed more than once. But the Yankees need their No. 1 to be better than an inconsistent umpire. Blame-assignment is a bad look on the day your ace is getting pounded.
I’m not quite sure what’s going on with Cole, but the numbers suggest a dead-arm period. Only five of his 38 four-seam fastballs generated swings and misses. Cole hasn’t been in double-figures in strikeouts since May 12 and his ERA climbed over 2.00 for the first time since Opening Day. Like anyone else, Cole is entitled to a slump but make no mistake: any underperformance from their best pitcher has a ripple effect on the rest of the Yankees rotation.
And that’s why the next 72 hours feel so critical – it’s once again time for the Bombers to make a sustained move. The second-place Red Sox, on the other hand, are already sprinting. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the East, but have so far put the Yankees’ offense to shame.
Boston is fifth in the American League in runs (the Yankees are 14th), have bounced into far fewer double plays (37 to the Yankees’ 53) and are better with runners in scoring position (.254 to .238).
Brett Gardner tried to inject some friction into the series, saying, “we don’t like them and they don’t like us.” But that’s an outdated narrative. It’s been a full generation since the Yankees and Sox were in an actual state of war. These days the only conflict is the Bombers’ search for their own identity.
It’s hard to fathom how the Yankees could alternately look flawless, winning seven straight series in May, and yet bottom out just as quickly. Exhibit A was the dud of a rally in the fourth inning, when the Rays were up, 2-1. The Yankees had runners on second and third – and simply turned to vapor.
Rougned Odor: fly ball to right in foul territory. No tag.
Frazier: strikeout.
Miguel Andujar: strikeout.
Rally, inning and, really, game over. That captures just how futile the lineup has been in 2021. Kyle Higashioka issued the understatement of the year when he said, “I think we’re all a little frustrated.”
The catcher was talking about Cole, about Boone, even the mild-mannered DJ LeMahieu, whose reaction to a called third strike in the eighth inning is worth a DVR rewind. The pitch was off the plate; Whitson had blown another one. But this one made LeMahieu snap.
Already down 100 points from 2020, his impatience building, The Machine suddenly became a very angry mortal. He blistered Whitson on the way back to the dugout – provoked in a way that didn’t seem possible for a Yankee who’s more mechanical than mortal.
But LeMahieu erupted for real when he got to the bench, slamming his bat to the ground multiple times. This wasn’t just anger, it was vein-throbbing rage in full view of the YES Network cameras. Michael Kay didn’t have to say a word. The Yankees’ mood couldn’t have been any darker.
So here we are, back to square one in the Bronx, being told it could all change with one big win over the Red Sox. The Yankees keep promising the breakout is just around the corner. Is it really, though. Haven’t we heard this before?
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 8:06:02 GMT -5
How will Yankees fans welcome Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora? It should be ‘loud’ but more crucial is Boston playing well after going 1-15 in Bronx in 2019-20 Updated 7:12 AM; Today 7:11 AM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
NEW YORK — Red Sox manager Alex Cora is expecting Yankee Stadium to be loud this weekend as Boston and New York meet for the first time in 2021.
Yankee Stadium still isn’t at 100% capacity due to COVID restrictions. The Yankees are able to host 33% or approximately 15,000.
Still, it should be quite loud as fans welcome Cora after his one-year suspension for being involved in the Astros’ 2017 illegal sign-stealing scheme.
Yankees fans brought inflatable trash cans — and they wore trash can necklaces and costumes to welcome Houston here in early May.
These fans understandably are bitter. The Astros banged on a trash can to relay signals to hitters during 2017 when Cora served as Astros bench coach. Houston used its elaborate cheating scheme during the 2017 postseason when it beat New York in the ALCS to make the World Series.
“Having him (Cora) back in the dugout obviously makes me want to beat them more,” Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner told reporters. “Listen, we don’t like those guys. They don’t like us.”
Gardner went on to say he “was halfway joking.”
“(Cora) had a lot of success over in Houston and led the Red Sox to the World Series a couple years ago and they’re playing well again this year,” Gardner added. “It will be a good battle. It will be fun.”
This series goes beyond Cora vs. Yankees fans. It goes beyond Cora vs. Yankees players who probably would have made the World Series if not for Houston cheating (the 2017 ALCS went seven games).
This series more importantly is about the Red Sox showing they can compete against the Yankees after New York has owned them the past two years.
Like Gardner, Cora also mentioned that this should be a fun weekend. But this rivalry needs to be two-sided for it to be fun. It has been a one-sided snoozer the past two years.
Boston beat the Yankees in the 2018 ALDS. Since then, the Red Sox are 6-23 with a negative-49 run differential against New York and 1-15 at Yankee Stadium. They haven’t won here since June 2, 2019, with David Price on the mound.
Red Sox pitchers have a 7.05 ERA (101 earned runs, 129 innings) in the 16 games here during 2019-20.
Yankees pitchers held the 2019 Red Sox to a .213 batting average, .279 on-base percentage, .361 slugging percentage and .640 OPS in nine games in New York. Boston slashed only .220/.276/.381/.657 in the Bronx in 2020.
Cora downplayed the series. He said he views it the same as visiting Houston at Minute Maid Park and the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla.
“It’s a good team that we’re going to face,” Cora said. “It’s three games in New York. We haven’t played against them this season obviously. We’re going to be in the middle of the whole thing. People are going to be watching. National TV games and slow games. It’s where we’re at. They had a good week I think. They are where they are in the standings. We are where we are in the standings. It’s three of 19 (games). They have a good team. We have a good team. I don’t think too many people thought that us going into New York, we were going to be in this position. But we are. We are. And we’re going to be ready for a fun weekend. It should be loud. It should be fun. It’s Yankees-Red Sox and people are going to be watching.”
Baseball Prospectus’ 2021 preseason PECOTA standings projected the Yankees to win the AL East with 95.5 wins. It had Boston fourth with 84.2 wins.
But the Red Sox enter New York in a surprising spot. They are 2 ½ games ahead of the third-place Yankees. Boston is two games behind the first-place Rays.
Some individual Red Sox players, such as Matt Barnes, also need to prove themselves here.
Barnes has dominated this season with a 2.63 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 12 saves. He’s averaging 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 1.9 walks.
But Barnes has a 9.53 ERA (30 earned runs, 28 ⅓ innings) against the Yankees in his career. He has allowed 29 hits and five homers. He has an 11.77 ERA (17 earned runs, 13 innings) at Yankee Stadium.
It also should be an interesting series for Adam Ottavino and Garrett Whitlock. The Red Sox acquired Ottavino from the Yankees in the offseason. They selected Whitlock from New York in the Rule 5 Draft.
This isn’t just about Cora returning to New York to face the fans. It’s about the Red Sox returning this rivalry back to a two-sided one.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 8:07:05 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees preview: TV schedule, pitching probables, key stories (June 4-6) Updated 8:05 AM; Today 8:05 AM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
NEW YORK — The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will meet for the first time in 2021. The rivals play a three-game series here at Yankee Stadium beginning Friday.
The Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2018 ALDS but New York has owned them since then. Boston is 6-23 with a negative-49 run differential against the Yankees the past two years and 1-15 at Yankee Stadium since the start of 2019. The Red Sox haven’t won here since June 2, 2019, with David Price on the mound.
The Red Sox enter 2 ½ games ahead of third-place New York in the AL East standings. They are two games behind the first-place Rays. Boston Red Sox (33-23) vs. New York Yankees (31-26) · Yankee Stadium · Bronx, N.Y.
SERIES SCHEDULE (and TV information):
Friday, June 4, 7:05 p.m. -- NESN / MLB Network (out of market)
Saturday, June 5, 7:15 p.m. -- FOX
Sunday, June 6, 7:08 p.m. ET -- ESPN
HOW TO WATCH:
Friday, June 4, 7:05 p.m. — NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)
Saturday, June 5, 7:15 p.m. ET -- FOX (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market),
Sunday, June 6, 7:08 p.m. ET -- ESPN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT:
Aaron Judge has been New York’s best hitter. He is batting .289 with a .390 on-base percentage. .532 slugging percentage, .922 OPS, 13 home runs, seven doubles, 30 RBIs and 28 runs in 54 games.
Judge and Giancarlo Stanton (.259/.331/.483/.814 line, nine homers, six doubles) are the only two Yankees hitters with an OPS better than .800.
The Yankees are batting just .227 with a .315 on-base percentage, .373 slugging percentage and .688 OPS as a team.
Pitching has been their strength. They rank fifth in the majors with a 3.25 ERA. New York is 10th in the majors in starter ERA (3.56) and third in reliever ERA (2.82).
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday, 7:05 p.m. — RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-2, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Michael King (0-2, 2.86 ERA)
Saturday, 7:15 p.m. — LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-4, 5.64 ERA) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (1-4, 5.10 ERA)
Sunday, 7:08 p.m. — RHP Garrett Richards (4-4, 3.75 ERA) vs. RHP Domingo Germán (4-3, 3.27 ERA)
THREE SOX TO WATCH:
1. Eduardo Rodriguez
Rodriguez went 1-4 with a 7.28 ERA in six starts during May. The opposition batted .360 with a .957 OPS against him. The lefty has a 3.96 ERA in nine career starts at Yankee Stadium.
2. Xander Bogaerts
The Red Sox shortstop is 4-for-10 with a homer and double in his career against Domingo Germán, who will start Sunday. Bogaerts has just two hits in his past 26 at-bats. Both hits came in a 5-1 win over the Astros on Thursday.
3. Matt Barnes
The right-handed closer has dominated this season with a 2.63 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 12 saves. He’s averaging 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 1.9 walks. But Barnes has a 9.53 ERA (30 earned runs, 28 ⅓ innings) against the Yankees in his career. He has allowed 29 hits and five homers. He has an 11.77 ERA (17 earned runs, 13 innings) at Yankee Stadium.
SERIES NOTES:
Hunter Renfroe is 3-for-6 with a homer and double against Yankees righty Jameson Taillon, who starts Saturday. Danny Santana is 2-for-3 with a home run and double against Taillon. Garrett Richards, who starts for Boston on Sunday, has a 7.43 ERA in five career starts at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are 17-12 (.586 winning percentage) at Yankee Stadium. They have outscored their opponents 113-96 here. Red Sox pitchers have a 7.05 ERA (101 earned runs, 129 innings) in the 16 games here during 2019-20. Yankees pitchers held the 2019 Red Sox to a .213 batting average, .279 on-base percentage, .361 slugging percentage and .640 OPS in nine games in New York. Boston slashed only .220/.276/.381/.657 in the Bronx in 2020. The Red Sox acquired setup man Adam Ottavino from the Yankees in the offseason. They selected pitcher Garrett Whitlock from New York in the Rule 5 Draft. Alex Cora will visit Yankee Stadium for the first time since receiving a one-year suspension for his involvement in the Astros’ 2017 illegal sign-stealing scheme. Cora was bench coach of the Astros in ‘17, when Houston beat New York in the ALCS. Michael King, who starts for the Yankees on Friday, pitched at Boston College.
UP NEXT:
The Red Sox return home for an eight-game homestand starting with the makeup of Sunday’s postponed game against the Marlins.
Monday, June 7 -- vs. Marlins (1) — makeup of 5/30 postponed game)
Tuesday, June 8 - Thursday, June 10 — vs. Astros (3)
Friday, June 11 - Monday, June 14 — vs. Blue Jays (4)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 8:25:33 GMT -5
Jeff Blair doing some teases for his morning radio show and always wanting to rip either the Red Sox or Yankees with this little nugget
"This season, the Yankees have yet to win a game which their opponent scores 5 or more runs."
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 8:31:49 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb
Off to New York the Red Sox go ....
Boston is 6-23 with a negative-49 run differential against the Yankees the past two years and 1-15 at Yankee Stadium since the start of 2019.
The Red Sox haven’t won there since June 2, 2019, with David Price on the mound.
The Yankees are batting just .227 w/ a .315 POBP, .373 slugging percentage and .688 OPS as a team. Pitching has been their strength. New York is second in the majors in starter ERA (2.98) and third in reliever ERA (2.70).
Red Sox pitchers have a 7.05 ERA (101 earned runs, 129 innings) at Yankee Stadium the past two seasons.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 9:34:37 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2021 11:17:38 GMT -5
Red Sox at Yankees Series Preview
A look at the first series between the Red Sox and Yankees of 2021. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Jun 4, 2021, 12:01pm EDT
SB Nation Blog
Pinstripe Alley The opponent in one sentence
On paper the Yankees are arguably the most talented team in the American League, but they’ve struggled to really put it all together on a consistent basis in this early part of 2021. Record
31-26 Head-to-head record
0-0 Trend
Down-ish. If you are looking at a bit of the bigger picture, then the Yankees are clearly trending in the wrong direction. They’ve suffered some injuries to key players, and it’s been a tough couple of weeks in the win/loss column. They are coming off a four-game split against the Rays, which considering how Tampa is playing right now that is no small feat. That said, they’ve also lost seven of their last 10, including a sweep at the hands of the lowly Tigers. Pitching Matchups
6/4: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Mike King, 7:05 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-market)
After getting out of the gates with a hot start this season, Eovaldi has been a little inconsistent of late en route to a solid but unspectacular line to this point in the year. The good news is he’s coming off a strong outing in Miami, and hopefully he’ll be able to parlay that into another good showing against a tougher lineup in the Bronx. Although he hasn’t really been going deep into games of late, he has allowed just two runs over his last two outings to go with 11 strikeouts and three walks over 10 2⁄3 innings. The most impressive quality for Eovaldi this season has been his ability to keep the ball in the yard — he’s allowed just one homer all year — and that will be put to the test in a big way against this lineup in this ballpark.
King, a Rhode Island native and former BC standout, is not too far removed from his prospect days but over the last couple of years has settled into something of a swingman role for New York. He’s made only one start this season, but a recent injury to Corey Kluber is putting him back in the rotation. The righty has solid stuff that will miss some bats, and he’s had a good season so far in 2021, but he also has some control issues that has given him problems in the past. The Red Sox should be patient against King and let him get himself into trouble rather than bailing him out if he is struggling to hit the zone. He’ll lead with a low-to-mid-90s sinker and also mix in a cutter and a changeup.
6/5: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Jameson Taillon, 7:15 PM ET (FOX)
Things have not been easy for Rodriguez of late, and they don’t figure to get much easier against this Yankees lineup. The good news for him is that most of his trouble has been balls in play finding their way in for hits, and Yankee Stadium is not a very large park. That means, in theory anyway, that it should be more difficult for balls to fall in for these singles that have been killing him. The bad news is there is still a ton of thump in this lineup, and any ball in play has the potential to be trouble given how hard these hitters tend to hit the ball. Boston’s southpaw is now up to a 5.64 ERA, and he’s allowed at least four runs in each of his last four starts and in five of his last six. Right now it seems like he just needs one good outing to start a run of them. This is not the ideal environment for it to occur, but crazier things have happened.
Taillon was, along with Kluber, one of two high-risk, high-reward additions to the rotation made by the Yankees this past winter. While Kluber was pitching relatively well before his injury, things have been a bit more of a slog for Taillon. The former Pirates number two overall pick is missing bats at a high rate, but he’s also giving up a lot more fly balls than he had in the past. That’s a tough tightrope to walk at Yankee stadium, and it’s resulting in a lot of home runs against the righty. He’s sitting with a 5.10 ERA this year, and he’s allowed at least one homer in eight of his 10 outings this season. The Red Sox should be looking to hunt mistakes in this matchup. Taillon will feature a low-to-mid-90s fastball along with a slider and a curveball.
6/6: Garrett Richards vs. Domingo Germán, 7:08 PM ET (ESPN)
Richards is in an interesting spot right now, having officially turned things around after those first few tough outings to start the season, but not quite as dominant as he was early in May. Lately, he’s been getting into a bit more trouble before being able to wriggle out of it most of the time. While it’s worked so far and he’s pitched to a 2.59 ERA over his last four starts, he’ll be looking for a cleaner outing against this Yankees lineup. Richards has tossed 24 1⁄3 innings over this four-start run, and though the results are good the 18 strikeouts to 15 walks suggests it’s only a matter of time before things blow up. He’ll be looking for a cleaner matchup against New York, his first experience of this rivalry.
Germán had been away from the Yankees last year after being suspended following a domestic violence arrest. He’s back in the rotation now despite the transgressions, and he’s mostly been pitching well. The righty has allowed more than four runs in just one start this season, and that was way back in his second of the year. It does seem like he’s been getting away with better results than you’d expect from his peripherals, but his excellent control has been a big part of it. The Red Sox should not be waiting around in his matchup, but rather taking what they get whenever it comes and trying to knock him out of his rhythm. Germán will lean heavily on his curveball while also throwing a mid-90s fastball, a changeup and a sinker. Old Friends
Ryan LaMarre played all of five games for the Red Sox back in 2016 and has spent his career as Quad-A depth. He’s currently serving that role for the Yankees, and at the moment he finds himself on the injured list.
Notable Position Players
Aaron Judge is the best player on the Yankees, and he’s showing why this season. While health has always been a question, he’s been healthy for 2021 and he’s hitting for massive power while drawing a ton of walks and playing good defense in right field. He will swing and miss a bunch, though he’s even cut down on that a little this year en route to a 158 wRC+.
Giancarlo Stanton is as scary as it gets in terms of just hitting the crap out of the ball. Nobody hits the ball as hard as Stanton, and while his swing and miss does hold him back a bit, there are still few hitters who are more terrifying when they step into the box for any given plate appearance.
DJ LeMahieu has been a disappointment for the Yankees after coming back on a multi-year deal last winter. He’s still getting on base at the top of the lineup, but an utter lack of power has kept his overall production at the plate below league-average.
Gio Urshela is also having a bit of a disappointing year. He’s been average-to-slightly-below in just about every area so far this season, giving him a roughly league-average performance overall.
Gleyber Torres has been trending in the wrong direction for a couple years now, and in 2021 he’s shown good plate discipline but is failing to impact the ball much at all when he’s making contact.
Gary Sánchez is always a power threat, as we know, but it’s actually been just good rather than great power this year while his patience is what’s keeping his head above water offensively.
Rougned Odor was a surprise acquisition shortly after the season began, but he’s still struggling to do much of anything on balls in play, which has been a trend in his career.
Clint Frazier is still trying to make good on the promise he showed as a prospect with Cleveland. He’s liable to hit one a mile every time he comes up, but the consistency just hasn’t been there.
Miguel Andújar is looking to recapture the magic that made him look like a core piece moving forward back in 2018. T-Shirt Collection
Take a look at the entire shirt collection from our friends over at BreakingT, including the latest one pictured above. Bullpen Snapshot
Aroldis Chapman is still the closer in New York, and he’s pitching as well as he ever has. The good news is there are still control issues here and there for the dominant lefty, and over the years the Red Sox have seemingly had his number. Well, at least to the extent that anyone has.
Jonathan Loaisiga is officially a full-time reliever now, and he’s thriving in that role despite traditional strikeout ability you typically see in the late innings. Instead, he’s relying on a lot of ground balls and good control to get the results he needs.
Chad Green has always been a bit underrated, but he’s getting his results this year despite not really missing bats at as high a rate as they Yankees may be looking for. Injuries
Luke Voit had just recently come off the IL for the Yankees, but was put back on last week, this time with an oblique injury.
Corey Kluber, as mentioned above, was just put on the shelf with a shoulder injury. The details are still not entirely clear, though he’s expected to be out for at least a couple months.
Luis Severino underwent Tommy John around the same time as Chris Sale, though his timeline to return seems to be a little more aggressive, though not by too much.
Aaron Hicks went on the IL with a wrist injury in the middle of May, and more recently he underwent surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the year.
Zack Britton is currently on a rehab assignment and shouldn’t be too far off from a return, though it probably won’t come this weekend.
Darren O’Day has been out since the end of April, but he’s starting to throw again and it doesn’t seem as though a rehab assignment should be too far off.
Justin Wilson just recently went down with a hamstring strain, and it’s expected he’ll miss at least the next three weeks or so.
Clarke Schmidt has been shut down with an elbow injury since early in camp, and it’s still not entirely clear when he will start to make his way back to this pitching staff.
LaMarre, as mentioned above, is on the IL and his timeline is unclear from a hamstring strain. Weather Forecast
It should be a good, albeit humid and muggy, weekend in the Bronx. The one problem could come for the opener on Friday, as there are thunderstorms in the forecast scattered throughout the night. Saturday and Sunday shouldn’t be much of a problem, though.
|
|