The New York Yankees are reeling.
Losers of seven of their last eight games, the Yankees have struggled since the start of August. A blend of inconsistent hitting and surprising bullpen miscues has had Yankee fans worried about the potential viability of a late-playoff run.
The good news is that New York still holds a commanding 10-game lead in the AL East, and despite their recent woes, is tied for the best record in the American League.
The Yankees continue their recent road trip now with a three-game series against their arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Boston has struggled since their excellent June and is currently in last place in the AL East. A potential “get-right” series could be on the horizon for the Yankees.
We have everything you need to know about the oldest rivalry in sports right here.
Projected Starting Pitchers
Friday – Domingo German (1-2, 5.09 ERA) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (5-3, 4.23 ERA)
Saturday – Frankie Montas (4-9, 3.59 ERA) vs. Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.30 ERA)
Sunday – Jameson Taillon (11-2, 3.95 ERA) vs. Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.69 ERA)
Players to Watch – Yankees
Andrew Benintendi
In the first series as a member of the Bronx Bombers back in Boston, Benintendi could get a bit of a homecoming cheer. The left fielder helped win Boston a World Series back in 2018 but has struggled as a member of the Yankees. The 2019 All-Star is hitting just .175 as a member of the Yankees. As New York continues to slide, questions surrounding this trade will only grow.
Clay Holmes
What has happened to the Yankee’s top closer? Holmes, a 2019 All-Star whose ERA was well under 2 for most of the first half of the season has struggled since the calendar turned to August. Holmes has blown two straight saves and has given up a run in three of his last four contests. The confidence of the Yankee bullpen has certainly been shaken and the reason for it is Holmes has been getting rocked as of late. If the Yankees want to turn the tide, they’ll need big contributions from their bullpen.
Frankie Montas
Montas’ first start with the Yankees didn’t go very well. The right-hander was shelled in his first start on the road, giving up six runs in only three innings of work. The Yankee’s trade deadline, on paper, was excellent, but none of the additions have really stood out and played a positive result yet. That must change this series. A good start from Montas could very well quell some of the uneasiness that Yankee fans have been feeling.
Players to Watch – Red Sox
Tommy Pham
The Red Sox offense has been Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and JD Martinez for the better part of the last two seasons. Pham had a good series against Atlanta over the week and has played well in the lead-off spot since coming over from Cincinnati. He’ll need to continue that solid play against a good Yankee rotation that has struggled as of late.
Nathan Eovaldi
Depending on who you ask, Eovaldi has been the best pitcher the Red Sox has employed over the last two seasons. His performances in the playoffs have been legendary, and he’s been the most consistent arm the team has had. Of course, that isn’t saying much. Boston’s pitching staff is a mess and it won’t get much better against a vaunted Yankee lineup. Eovaldi having a good start tonight could go a long way.
Chaim Bloom
The Chaim Bloom era in Boston hasn’t been very good. The Mookie Betts trade has become a disaster with a majority of the players received not panning out. The inability to get any form of starting pitching has been only overshadowed by an inept bullpen. The Red Sox have three top players and don’t want to pay the youngest, and arguably best among them. Boston has major issues going on with their club and it starts with Chaim Bloom. If Boston can’t find a way to bring back Devers and Bogaerts, it could very well spell the end of Bloom’s run in Boston. A bad series against their arch-rival won’t help matters either.
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