Josh Beckett, coming off a back injury which robbed him of one start, will take the ball in a crucial start for Boston, which approaches the quarter pole of the season with its rotation still an inconsistent mess.
Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was knocked around early in the Sox' 11-9 loss Monday, both have ERAs over 7.00, and the Red Sox starters as a whole have a 5.16 mark, 13th in the American League.
The Yankees don't offer up any favors by throwing star lefty CC Sabathia.
Boston is a season-high 8 1/2 games back in the American League East.
WHEN AND WHERE
Red Sox (19-20) vs. Yankees (25-13)
Tuesday, May 18, 7 p.m.
Yankee Stadium, New York
HEAD TO HEAD
The Yankees have won 14 of the last 17 meetings.
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Josh Beckett (1-1, 7.46 ERA) vs. LHP CC Sabathia (4-2, 3.71 ERA)
Beckett last threw May 7 against the Yankees at home, allowing nine runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He then proceeded to tweak his back taking cuts in the batting cage days later (the pitchers were preparing for this weekend's interleague matchup in Philadelphia) and was forced to miss a start in Detroit over the weekend.
Altogether it has been a rough stretch for Beckett, who has allowed at least seven runs in three of his last four starts. Additionally, he has given up 22 runs in 18 innings in his last three meetings with New York.
Sabathia has had his own trials in the rivalry of late. Take away his two uneven starts against Boston this year and he has a 2.91 ERA.
LINEUPS
| Red Sox | Yankees |
|---|---|
| Marco Scutaro, SS Dustin Pedroia, 2B J.D. Drew, RF Kevin Youkilis, 1B Victor Martinez, C David Ortiz, DH Adrian Beltre, 3B Bill Hall, LF Darnell McDonald, CF |
Derek Jeter, SS Brett Gardner, CF Mark Teixeira, 1B Alex Rodriguez, 3B Robinson Cano, 2B Francisco Cervelli, C Marcus Thames, RF Juan Miranda, DH Randy Winn, LF |
STAT SHEET
Red Sox
- Catcher Victor Martinez on Monday became the sixth player in Red Sox history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game.
- Right fielder J.D. Drew is batting .400 (24-for-60) with four home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 16 games.
- Jonathan Papelbon had converted 22 straight save opportunities before blowing one Monday night. It is the third-longest streak in team history.
Yankees
- Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is 4-for-7 with 12 RBIs this year with the bases loaded.
- Outfielder Brett Gardner is 4-for-4 with two walks in six plate appearances against Papelbon.
- New York recorded its first walk-off win Monday. It led the majors with 15 last year.
BLACK AND BLUE
Red Sox
- Left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-3 with two runs scored in a rehab game Monday with Triple-A Pawtucket. He will play in the outfield Tuesday, this time with Double-A Portland, and then return to Boston to see the medical staff Wednesday. Ellsbury has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 18 with rib injuries.
- Center fielder Mike Cameron went 4-for-13 with a home run and four walks in a rehab stint at Pawtucket. The team considered activating him for the Yankees series but manager Terry Francona said Monday that Cameron is still tender in his abdomen. Cameron, out since April 18 with an abdominal strain, is in Boston and will meet with doctors there.
- Righty Boof Bonser allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings Monday in his fifth rehab start for Pawtucket.
Yankees
- Designated hitter Nick Johnson will have surgery on his ailing right wrist, the Yankees announced Monday. He will be able to swing a bat in 4-6 weeks.
- Right fielder Nick Swisher was out of the starting lineup again Monday with a sore left biceps that gives him pain when he bats left-handed. He remains day-to-day.
- Center fielder Curtis Granderson is on the disabled list with a strained left groin, and not expected to return until around June 1.
- Righty Alfredo Aceves is on the DL with lower back stiffness.
OUTLOOK
It still seems too early to label a game a "must-win" affair, but this latest swoon has the Red Sox sinking in the ultra-competitive AL East, and their rivalry with the Yankees is becoming extremely one-sided.
Beckett is the leader of this staff, and needs to perform like one. With the Twins, Phillies and Rays on the horizon, the road does not get easier, and this is Boston's last crack at New York until August.
