After 86 games, the Red Sox are finally set to play at Yankee Stadium this weekend for the first time this year. It’s a fitting number in the year 2024, the 20th anniversary of Boston’s historic, one-of-a-kind comeback over the Yankees in the ALCS, which led to their first World Series championship in 86 years.
The Yankees were on top of the world when they arrived at Fenway on June 14 for the first of four regular-season series between the storied rivals. They owned MLB’s best record, 49-22, while the Red Sox were 35-34 and in third place in the division.
The Yankees took the first game. The Red Sox took the next two and with a win on Father’s Day, the series. Who’s your daddy?
Three weeks later, the Red Sox are still in third place (this is the AL East, after all). That’s just about the only thing that remains unchanged. Boston has been surging, New York stumbling. The Red Sox are a season-high eight games over .500 and 14-6 (.700) over their last 20 games, the second-best record in the Majors. Since June 13, the Yankees are 5-14, the worst mark in baseball over that span.
The Red Sox enter Friday victorious in their last four games, MLB’s longest active winning streak, and 5-1-4 in their last ten series. They’re also 27-16 (.628) on the road, including 9-1 in their last 10 away games. The Yankees just were swept by the Cincinnati Reds for the first time since the 1976 World Series. (At home, no less.)
Attacking early will be key for the Red Sox. According to Jomboy Media’s Max Mannis, opponents have scored first in 13 of the Yankees’ last 14 losses, including 16 first-inning runs.
(L) Jarren Duran CF
Rob Refsnyder RF
Tyler O’Neill LF
(L) Rafael Devers 3B
Connor Wong C
Romy Gonzalez 1B
(L) Masataka Yoshida DH
(L) Enmanuel Valdez 2B
Ceddanne Rafaela SS
(L) Ben Rice 1B
(L) Juan Soto RF
Aaron Judge DH
(L) Alex Verdugo LF
Gleyber Torres 2B
(L) Austin Wells C
Anthony Volpe SS
(L) Trent Grisham CF
DJ LeMahieu 3B
RHP Tanner Houck vs. LHP Nestor Cortes
Tanner Houck, who’s emerged as the ace of the Red Sox rotation, has the ball for Game 1. He’s 7-6 with a 2.67 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 17 starts. Already, he’s at a career-high 107.2 innings pitched this season.
Alex Cora will deploy a righty-heavy lineup against Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes. The southpaw, 29, is 4-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 18 starts (105 innings) this season. Righties are hitting .249 against him with a .707 OPS, compared to lefties, who are managing a meager .214 average and .568 OPS.
The Red Sox manager is, however, isn’t deviating from his two most productive left-handed hitters, Jarren Duran in the leadoff spot and Rafael Devers batting cleanup. Duran is hitting .255 with a .688 OPS in 111 plate appearances against southpaw starters this season. However, in 10 career games (nine starts) at Yankee Stadium, he’s 6-for-32 (.188) with a double, two runs, an RBI, one stolen base, two walks, and 11 strikeouts.
Devers owns a .253 average and .764 OPS in 90 plate appearances against lefty starters this year. He loves raking against the Yankees and at Yankee Stadium, though: over 54 career regular-season games (53 starts) in the Bronx, he’s collected 54 hits, including seven doubles and 13 home runs, his most in any road ballpark in the Majors. His 25 homers against the Yankees and 13 home runs at Yankee Stadium are the most he’s hit against any opponent and in any ballpark on the road. On Saturday afternoon, he’ll face Gerrit Cole for the first time this year; Devers has already homered off the Yankees ace seven times in their past regular-season meetings, more than double his total against any other big-league pitcher.
When: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where: Yankee Stadium
TV: NESN, YES, MLB Network (Blackout restrictions may apply)
Red Sox radio: WEEI 93.7 FM, WCCM 1490 AM (Spanish)
Yankees radio: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280