After getting the tar beaten out of them on Friday night, the Red Sox are eager to bounce back and win one. The AL East is looking unattainable as the Yankees just keep winning, but every game counts with the Sox mired in a heated wild-card race. For a multitude of reasons, the Sox would love to snap their five-game losing streak in head-to-head meetings with their East rivals.
When and Where
4:10 p.m. ET (FOX), August 22, 2009
Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.
Records
Red Sox (69-52, 2nd place in AL East)
Yankees (77-45, 1st place in AL East)
Skinny
Is there any stopping these Yankees? Probably not until October. They've been the best team in baseball since the All-Star break, knocking the cover off the ball nonstop and cruising to a comfortable lead in the AL East. They appear destined for the postseason, and likely the only question is whether the Red Sox will find a way to join them. In that respect, the last two games of this weekend will be crucial for Boston.
Starting Lineups
| Yankees |
Red Sox |
| Jacoby Ellsbury, CF | |
| Dustin Pedroia, 2B | |
| Victor Martinez, C | |
| Kevin Youkilis, 1B | |
| David Ortiz, DH | |
| Jason Bay, LF | |
| J.D. Drew, RF | |
| Jason Varitek, C | |
| Alex Gonzalez, SS |
New York's lineup will be announced when it becomes available.
Pitching Matchup
RHP Junichi Tazawa (1-2, 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP A.J. Burnett (10-6, 3.69 ERA)
Tazawa had a gem of a first career start, allowing just one earned run in five innings when the Sox beat the Tigers on Aug. 11, but his second start didn't shine as bright. The Sox' rookie righty was rocked for four runs on 10 hits against the Rangers last Sunday, and it was just not enough to keep the Sox in the game, as Tazawa took a close 4-3 loss. Now he'll look to get his revenge on the Yankees, who ruined his major league debut when Alex Rodriguez took him deep for a 15th-inning walk-off on Aug. 7.
This is a big start for the Yanks' Burnett, who hasn't won in almost a month, when he beat James Shields and the Rays 11-4 on July 27. Burnett still has the numbers to make him one of the elite No. 2 starters in the league, but he's prone to the occasional rough start. Case in point: the Yanks' 14-4 loss in Chicago on Aug. 1, when Burnett was knocked out in the fifth inning. Burnett's not consistent, but he's a solid second starter for the playoff-bound Yankees.
Stat Sheet
Red Sox
The Red Sox have scored 623 runs this season, ranking them among the top five teams in baseball.
They are 19-17 this season in day games.
Junichi Tazawa has allowed three home runs in 11 2/3 major league innings.
Kevin Youkilis has a .424 on-base percentage. He ranks second in the AL, far behind Twins catcher Joe Mauer (.448).
Dustin Pedroia has 34 doubles, sixth in the AL.
Jacoby Ellsbury has six triples, fifth in the AL.
Alex Gonzalez is 5-for-24 (.208) since joining the Red Sox a week ago.
J.D. Drew has a 1.002 OPS in August. He has homered three times.
Jason Bay has a .981 career OPS against the Yankees. He has six doubles, two triples and four home runs in 84 at-bats.
Victor Martinez is 47-for-172 (.273) in his career against New York. He has nine home runs and 35 RBIs.
Mike Lowell is 4-for-17 (.235) in his career against A.J. Burnett. He has a double and a walk.
David Ortiz is 5-for-22 (.227) against Burnett. He has a home run, two doubles, a walk and 10 strikeouts.
Yankees
The Yankees lead the AL with a plus-116 run differential.
The Yankees have hit 185 home runs this season, most in the major leagues.
A.J. Burnett is 5-1 in 11 career starts against the Red Sox. He has a 3.39 ERA in 71 2/3 innings.
Derek Jeter is hitting .331, fifth in the AL.
Mark Teixeira has a .937 OPS, also fifth in the AL.
Robinson Cano is hitting .342 with seven doubles in August.
Alex Rodriguez has a .423 OBP on the road this season.
Jorge Posada is 167-for-615 (.272) in his career against the Red Sox.
Black and Blue
Red Sox
Tim Wakefield, rehabbing from a strained lower back, started Friday night for Triple-A Pawtucket against Rochester. He allowed one run on two hits and threw 81 pitches over 5 2/3 innings.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, on the 60-day DL since June 20 with a strained right shoulder strain, threw a bullpen session on Friday. He is expected to begin a rehab stint soon.
Rocco Baldelli, who was placed on the 15-day DL on Aug. 6 with a left ankle contusion, was activated Friday.
Yankees
Brett Gardner is wearing a splint to protect his broken left thumb — he likely won't be ready to return to the Yankees until sometime after Sept. 1.
Damaso Marte, on the 60-day DL since April 26 with left shoulder tendinitis, is finally nearing a return. The left-handed reliever threw a bullpen session in New York last weekend.
Chien-Ming Wang is slated for surgery on his right shoulder. He is out for the season.
This Date in Red Sox History
In 1907, shortstop Heinie Wagner hit two inside-the-park home runs in
one game. They were the first two round-trippers of his career; he
would go on to play 12 major league seasons, 11 with the Red Sox, and
finish with 10 career home runs.
Overheard
"I think that's what every player wants to do, is play on a contender and have a shot to go to the World Series. Like we all know, I'm not getting any younger, and the window's starting to shut. You want to have that chance and take it if you get it."
—Billy Wagner, on MLB.com, after the Red Sox claimed him off waivers on Friday
Press Box
Red Sox
Welcome, Billy Wagner.
Jacoby Ellsbury made history on Friday night.
Dustin Pedroia can turn a double play and change a diaper.
Yankees
The Yanks scored early and often on Friday.
A vote of confidence for Robinson Cano.
Joba Chamberlain's got a lot left in the tank.
MLB
Stephen Strasburg goes to Washington.
Big news in the sale of the Chicago Cubs.
The Angels are a model of consistency.
Outlook
While the Sox take on the Yankees, their two main wild-card rivals — Texas and Tampa Bay — joust with each other. That means one of them's guaranteed to gain some ground, and the Sox need every win they can get. Beating Burnett won't be easy, and neither will taking on CC Sabathia on Sunday. But the Sox need to find a way to win at least one of these games — their October fate might be hanging on their August performance. It's a scary thought, but the Sox' inability to come through against their AL East rivals has backed them into a corner.
