Apr 12, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) hits an RBI single in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Editorial by: Graydon Fox

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Overview:

On Sunday, August 5th, the (75-34) Boston Red Sox will be on the road to take on the (68-37) New York Yankees.

The Crowd:

“The Crowd” is projecting a final score of Red Sox 5.8 – Yankees 4.6 with an over/under of 10.4.

Starting Pitchers:

NYY: Masahiro Tanaka (9-2, 3.84) vs BOS: David Price (11-6, 3.97)

Batting Stats:

Runs per game: Red Sox 5.25 (1^st) > Yankees 5.20 (2^nd)

Batting Average: Red Sox .268 (1^st) > Yankees .256 (8^th)

On Base Percentage: Red Sox .335 (3^rd) > Yankees .333 (4^th)

Total Bases: Red Sox 1727 (1^st) > Yankees 1645 (2^nd)

Baserunning Stats:

Stolen Bases: Red Sox 82 (3^rd) > Yankees 43 (20^th)

Pitching Stats:

Team Earned Run Average: Red Sox 3.47 (3^rd) > Yankees 3.56 (4^th)

Batting Average Against: Yankees .225 (2^nd) > Red Sox .232 (5^th)

Walks/Hits Per Innings Pitched: Yankees 1.18 (2^nd) > Red Sox 1.21 (5^th)

Strikeouts: Red Sox 1055 (2^nd) > Yankees 1050 (3^rd)

Saves: Red Sox 36 (2^nd) > Yankees 33 (5^th)

Fielding Stats:

Errors: Red Sox 50 (6^th) > Yankees 54 (12^th)

Summary:

The Yankees enter the game ranking 2^nd in runs per game (5.20) and 4^th in team earned run average (3.56).  The Yankees are (6-4) in their last ten games and (30-22) on the road this season.  New York has certainly battled the injury bug as of late as Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez will be sidelined for this game.  The Yankees will lean heavily on slugger Giancarlo Stanton (.278, 24 HR, 64 RBI) and rookie of the year candidate Gleyber Torres (.286, 15 HR, 45 RBI) in their absence.  The additions of Lance Lynn and J.A. Happ add depth to the starting rotation while Zach Britton joins the most dominant bullpen in baseball.  The Yankees will be up against Red Sox lefty David Price (11-6, 3.97) who they are hitting a combined .327 against in 257 total at-bats.  Price is (5-2, 3.31) at home this season and was (2-1, 4.97) in July.

Boston owns the best record in baseball (75-34) by a wide margin.  The Red Sox rank 1^st in runs per game (5.25) and 3^rd in team ERA (3.47).  Boston is (6-4) in their last ten games and (38-15) at home this season.  Both Mookie Betts (.338, 25 HR, 56 RBI, 20 SB) and J.D. Martinez (.323, 32 HR, 89 RBI) are top candidates for A.L. MVP.  The Red Sox just acquired veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler who will fill the large void left by Dustin Pedroia.  Boston is well balanced in all facets of the game ranking as a top ten team in hitting, fielding, pitching, and defense.  The Red Sox will be up against Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka (9-2, 3.84) who they are hitting a combined .256 against in 297 at-bats.  Tanaka is (6-0, 4.00) on the road this season and (2-0, 1.75) in July.

Bottom Line:

The Yankees are (5-4) against the Red Sox this season despite being outscored 53-49.  The Yankees have had great success against Price in the past but injuries have really depleted the middle of their lineup.  Boston has been especially dominant at home and I expect them to take advantage of a banged up Yankees team.

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