Red Sox vs Yankees MLB Betting + Handicapping Picks
Just because these two teams are not currently locked in a battle atop the AL East, doesn’t mean this series will bear any less significance.
Perhaps the most celebrated rivalry in all of sports, the Yankees and the Red Sox will surely put it all on the line every single game, regardless of standings.
BOS: Jon Lester (6-10, 5.20 ERA) v NYY: David Phelps (3-3, 2.53 ERA)
Date/Time: Saturday, August 18, 2012, 4:05 PM ET
Venue: Yankees Stadium, the Bronx New York
Broadcast: FOX Sports Regional
Line: OFF
Over/Under: OFF
And Saturday’s Game 2 of a three-game set will be no different.
The Yankees are cruising, and with 10 wins in August, lead the division by nearly a half-dozen games over second place Baltimore.
They will look to maintain their lead, by sending rookie right-hander David Phelps to the hill on Saturday.
The 25-year old Phelps pitched a career-high five innings and picked off two runners Monday in an 8-2 win over Texas, as he filled in admirably for injured ace C.C. Sabathia, allowing two runs and six hits.
Phelps has done fairly well as a starter for the Yankees this season over four outings, but limited pitch counts have stunted his win stats.
He could however, hit a speed bump here against a Red Sox lineup that is hitting a respectable .267 collectively, with 577 runs. Third best in the league. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
So, why is Boston so far behind in the standings? Simple. Pitching.
The Red Sox have been awful, and currently have a combined ERA of nearly 4.50.
And part of that is 28-year old lefty Jon Lester, who earned his first win since beating Toronto back on June 27, striking out 12 over six innings on Sunday, in a 14-1 rout over the Cleveland Indians.
Between wins, he was 0-5 with a 7.49 ERA.
Lester has really struggled, and one positive outing is not really going to help his ugly ERA and WHIP. Still, he is 1-1 against the Yankees in 2012, giving up a combined eight earned runs on 13 hits while fanning 12 and walking four.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Yankees- While Lester has split a pair against the Yankees this season, the Red Sox will face an unfamiliar Phelps who has been fairly solid. Mix in home field advantage, a little more rest time, and the Sox recent inability to give their rotation the run support needed to win games. And that adds up to a Yankees win.
