The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees begin a short two-game series Monday night in the Bronx. It will be the first time this season Boston will play New York as the visitor. The division rivals begin play at 7:05 p.m. ET.
The baseball odds list the Yankees as heavy favorites at -200 and the Red Sox at +170. The over/under is 9.
The New York Yankees (24-13, 12-3 home) will need to bounce back quickly after suffering a devastating loss Sunday night to Minnesota. After taking a 3-1 lead into the 8th inning, Yankees’ star closer Mariano Rivera gave up a bases loaded walk and a grand slam. Minnesota ended up winning 6-3. It was just the third time this season that New York lost at home.
The Boston Red Sox (19-19, 7-8 away) is also coming into this game hoping to reverse recent fortunes. They are coming off of a series against Detroit in which they lost their last two games and they have lost five of their last six road games. They went 2-7 at Yankee Stadium last season.
Boston and New York have faced each other in two separate series this season, both times in Boston. New York took two of three in each series.
Red Sox second baseman and former league MVP Dustin Pedroia is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out Sunday against Detroit to rest his right knee. He was 2 for 11 in Boston’s last series with New York.
Phil Hughes (5-0, 1.38 ERA) will look to continue his dominant pitching for the Yankees. The right-hander leads the AL in ERA and opponents’ batting average (.165) and has a 0.86 ERA in his last three starts. He faced Boston earlier this month, giving up seven hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 10-3 win on May 7.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-1, 6.35 ERA) will take the mound for Boston. Matsuzaka went 18-3 in 2008 but was unproductive in 2009 and began this season on the disabled list. He had a 9.90 ERA after his first two starts this season but looked sharp in his last start, allowing one run against Toronto while striking out nine with zero walks in a 6-1 win on Tuesday.
