Sunday is the conclusion of the latest chapter in the greatest rivalry in sports, as the Yankees and Red Sox close out their four-game weekend series. The Red Sox won on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, scoring a combined 38 runs in those victories.
Probable Pitchers
For the Yankees, Domingo German will take the hill for his 17th start of the season. While most of this season has been terrific for German, he is coming off his worst start of the year. Against the Twins, he gave up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings, including three home runs. Somehow for German, he escaped the game without having to take the loss.
He’s currently 12-2 with a 4.03 earned run average and, for the most part, has been the ace the Yankees have needed in the absence of Luis Severino. He has faced Boston one time this season, on June 1, lasting only 3 2/3 innings and giving up three runs while striking out eight batters.
For the Red Sox, Chris Sale will get the ball for his 22nd start of 2019. Looking at his stats, you’d be questioning where the real Chris Sale has been. The answer is he has just been incredibly unlucky so far, which has resulted in his 5-9 record and 4.00 earned run average. While his hard-hit percentage is at a career-high, his BABIP is a clear catalyst for his unfortunate struggles. Taking a look at his FIP and xFIP would tell the story of how good he is pitching, with his FIP being 3.24 and xFIP at 2.91.
One thing that has not escaped Sale this season is the strikeouts. One of the most prolific strikeout pitchers of this decade has been dazzling once again this season. His K/9 is over 13 for the second straight season, and his K% is over 35% for the third straight. In over half his starts this year he has recorded double-digit strikeouts.
Batters To Watch
I had Mookie Betts as the player to watch at the plate coming into this series, and he has not disappointed. Thursday he had two hits, two runs and two runs batted in. And then on Friday, he really popped off, with three home runs, four hits and five runs batted in. If Boston wants to make the playoffs yet again, Mookie getting hot will make it a lot easier.
DJ LeMahieu has stolen the headlines for the Yankees this season, and that has taken a ton of pressure off superstar Aaron Judge. Judge has missed a chunk of time due to a labrum injury but is quietly having a stellar year. He only has 11 home runs so far, but the in-depth stats show that he’s due for a major power surge. And if the Yankees don’t get any pitching at the deadline, they’re going to need all the runs they can get.
The Pick
Ride the train while it’s hot, boys and girls. Take the Red Sox and the sweep.
