Red Sox Report: The Evil Empire Returns!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Here we go again!

With just 29 games remaining in the 2010 regular season (30 for the Yankees), the Boston Red Sox will welcome their hated rivals – the New York Yankees to Fenway Park tonight for the first of three. Boston leads New York by 1 ½ games in the American League East thanks, in part, to their 10-2 record against the Yankees this season.

The build-up for this series hasn’t been quite as exciting as you might expect. That’s probably due to the fact that both teams are in prime position to make it to the playoffs so the outcome of this series will likely have no impact on either team’s postseason fate.

On paper the Yankees would appear to have the big edge in tonight’s pitching match-up with 17-game winner CC Sabathia going to the mound for New York against John Lackey. Not so fast! Sabathia may be 17-7 this season, but he’s 0-4 with a 7.40 ERA against the Red Sox. Lackey, meanwhile, hasn’t exactly dominated the opposition this season, but he’s 7-1 with a no-decision in his last 9 starts. Unlike his teammate Josh Beckett, Lackey has been the beneficiary of great run support from his teammates.

The Red Sox rate the edge in games 2 and 3 of this series from a pitching standpoint. Wednesday night Josh Beckett will face Phil Hughes while Jon Lester squares off against the struggling AJ Burnett on Thursday.

A Boston sweep would put the Red Sox in very good position to win the division race. A Yankee sweep, or even 2 out of 3, would give New York the confidence it needs heading into the postseason that they can actually beat Boston.

-PGA Champion and Vermont native Keegan Bradley will throw out the first pitch tonight at Fenway before game 1. Bradley is a huge New England sports fans and has said that he has always dreamed of throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park. That dream will be realized this evening.

-Sox 1B Adrian Gonzalez was named the American League’s Player of the Week for last week. Gonzo his .393 with 5 HR’s and 9 RBI. It’s the first time he has won the award since coming to Boston this offseason.

-The race for American League MVP will be front and center over the next 3 days at Fenway. Adrain Gonzalez (.345 avg. 23 HR 103 RBI)and Jacoby Ellsbury (.312 avg. 23 HR 82 RBI 36 SB) have each had a terrific season thus far and are the leading candidates for Boston. Curtis Granderson (.276 avg. 38 HR 107 RBI) has had an amazing season for the Yankees and is New York’s top candidate for that award over Robinson Cano (.304 avg. 23 HR 95 RBI) and Mark Texiera (.251 avg. 35 HR 100 RBI).