It’s a shame that midseason Yankees vs. Red Sox on “Sunday Night Baseball” doesn’t hold the same gravitas that the rivalry is capable of.
That’s partly because Aaron Judge is still on the injured list and partly because the Red Sox have plummeted in organizational disarray.
For as much as Boston’s anemic offense and error-prone defense has hindered it, the pitching has been as advertised: a top-10 rotation supported by a top-3 bullpen in ERA.
Before this series, Boston dropped two of three to the woeful Rockies. The win came from Sonny Gray, who delivered an 11-strikeout gem, allowing one earned run in seven innings. While this was against a rudderless Rockies club, Gray has still delivered what the Red Sox traded for throughout his 14 starts, serving as a leader in a clubhouse bereft of maturity.
Yankees vs. Red Sox prediction, best bet
The 36-year-old is playing on an expiring contract, and with the trade deadline approaching in just over one month, each start is critical. Gray’s 9-1 record and 2.95 ERA are a testament to his elite command and efficiency through 76 ⅓ innings.
Facing him is Carlos Rodon, who has been progressively building back to form this season after recovering from elbow surgery. He’s been a reliable piece in an ailing Yankees rotation at 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA, but his command isn’t quite there with a walk rate that’s crept up to 4.79 per nine innings.
Offensively, the Yankees are simply not the same without Judge. With No. 99, they were second overall in wRC+; without him, they are 14th.
The Yankees are scraping for runs at Fenway in this series, posting a putrid .229/.262/.490 slash line through the first two games.
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At the same time, Boston has found a little rhythm, outscoring the Bombers 12-4 in those games while Caleb Durbin hits the seams off the baseball. The controversial third base replacement had multi-hit games in six of his last eight heading into Saturday’s matinee.
Oddsmakers have caught on, too. After opening as favorites in the first three games, the Yankees are even-money underdogs with the Sox priced modestly at -118. The Red Sox may not have the long-term gas, but they’re worth a moneyline sprinkle on primetime.
THE PLAY: Red Sox moneyline (-118, FanDuel)
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Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
