The New York Yankees need to string together some wins if they hope to land at least a Wild Card berth in the 2014 playoffs. What better way to do so than against bitter AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have been struggling after a number of their key players were bitten by the injury bug; however, they still have some fire power at the plate. On the other hand, the Red Sox are coming in on the heels of some trades that likely leave them with a rather unmotivated lineup.
While the Yankees and Red Sox settle their score at Fenway Park, 14 other matches will be contested in the majors. Head over to our MLB Free Picks for the five best baseball games to bet on today. In the meantime, prepare yourself as we take a closer look at the action set to happen at Boston.
[sc:MLBArticles ]New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, Major League Baseball, Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Fenway Park, Boston
When: Friday, August 1, 7:10 PM ET
Line: New York Yankees +105 at Boston Red Sox -115; total 9.0 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees need a win fast as they have lost four of their last five games. They will get a chance to do so against AL East’s last-place team, the Boston Red Sox.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Brett Gardner will be swinging a hot bat in the series opener against the Red Sox. Gardner went 8-for-14 with four solo homers in three games against Texas. The left fielder is the most consistent hitter for the the Yankees with a .283 batting average, and will give Boston’s debuting pitcher a taste of major league batting.
The Yankees offense will also be stronger with Mark Teixeira back to full health. The first baseman sat out a week’s worth of games due to an injured lat. Thankfully, Texeira didn’t show noticeable signs of rust as he hit a two-run homer to contribute to his team’s 12-11 win over the Rangers on Tuesday.
Aside from Gardner and Teixeira, Brian McCann may also return to play after sitting out yesterday’s game, but he’s only 2-for-16 in the last four games he’s played.
On the mound, Chris Capuano (1-1, 4.30 ERA) will be making his second start for the Yankees. The former Red Sox pitcher had a strong debut for the Yankees surrendering only two runs in six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Although he pitched well against a high-scoring Jays team, Capuano may run into problems with Boston’s offense. The Red Sox are only 20th in the majors with a batting average of .246, but have hit .387 against Capuano in the pitcher’s nine-year career.
The total has gone under in five of the Yankees last six games.
Betting on the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox certainly made some noise right before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline. The Red Sox, who’ve lost eight of their last 10 games, sacrificed two of their stronger pitchers John Lackey and Jon Lester for more power at the plate and some useful long-term additions.
They acquired the hot-hitting Yoenis Cespedes from the Oakland Athletics as well as Allen Craig from the St. Louis Cardinals. Cespedes has hit .256 with 17 homers and 67 RBIs this season, while Craig has hit .237 with seven homers and 44 RBIs.
Craig will be a welcome addition to the roster, especially if he starts against the Yankees as he is 7-for-11 with two homers and six RBIs in his career against Yankees starter Capuano.
The two new acquisitions will join designated hitter David Ortiz, who leads the team in home runs (25) and RBIs (77), at the heart of the order. In his last outing against the Yankees, Ortiz went 1-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs.
While Boston now boasts of a stronger cast of batters, they will have the untested Anthony Ranaudo on the mound. Ranaudo will be making his major league debut after going 12-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 21 starts with Triple-A Pawtucket. Despite his impressive Triple-A record, he is unproven against the talent of major league batters.
Nevertheless, Ranaudo stands an even chance of recording a win in his debut as rookie pitchers are 5-5 with a 3.91 ERA against the Yankees.
Writer’s Prediction
The Yankees’ batters exploit Boston’s rookie pitcher to take the series opener. To cash in on this classic AL East class, create a betting account now and get into the action.
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