The Red Sox and Yankees will renew acquaintances and get back in the saddle after a COVID postponement on Thursday, leading us to this Friday night showdown. Let’s analyze this AL East rivalry and keep cashing our MLB picks!
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Friday, July 16, 2021 – 07:05 PM EDT at Yankee Stadium
The Red Sox have a tenuous grasp on the division lead with the Tampa Bay Rays, just 1 ½ games in their rearview mirror, while the Yankees and Blue Jays are both eight games back. But Boston began staggering at the end of the first half of the season, losing four of their last five against pedestrian opponents (Angels and Phillies).
Meanwhile, the Yankees have struggled through a disappointing season and the cheers we thought we would hear emanating from Yankee Stadium have turned to jeers. The Bombers find themselves with a 46-43 mark and are close to falling out of the AL East race.
However, hope springs eternal in the second half, for all but those that are hopelessly out of the playoff hunt, and the Yankees are no different. Big things are expected of the Pinstripers in the remaining months and if their winning five of seven before the break is any indication then they could prove worthy of the optimism in the Bronx.
COVID Concerns
Last night’s game was postponed due to medical protocols and Aaron Judge is a key figure in all of this. He is one of three everyday New York players who are in COVID protocol, with the other two being Gio Urshela and Kyle Higashioka, while pitchers Nester Cortes Jr., Wandy Peralta, and Jonathan Loaisiga have confirmed cases.
The issue with Judge is that he was recently in Denver with all the other All-Stars shaking hands and high-fiving, possibly infecting everyone he came in contact with, including five fellow All-Stars from Boston who are now in similar protocols.
“Disappointing and frustrating,” is how Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone put it. “Nobody wants to be talking about this. We want to go back to normal. But some things are out of our control. We have to do the best we can with the circumstances and the hands we are dealt.”
Wanna Make a Bet?
Assuming Friday’s game goes off unhitched, the Red Sox will be sending Martin Perez (7-5, 4.04 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) to the bump who will hope to be sharper than he was in his last outing when he allowed three runs on six hits over three-plus innings in an 11-2 loss to Philadelphia. Ironically, Perez posted identical numbers in his June 25th appearance against the Yankees but the outcome was vastly different as the Sox notched a 5-3 victory in that one.
Jordan Montgomery (3-4, 4.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) will be the pitcher of record for New York this evening. He last saw action on July 8th and pitched fairly well but a pair of dingers contributed to all three runs against him, where he worked six-plus innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits in what resulted in a 4-0 loss to the Mariners.
Montgomery has faced the Red Sox just once this season, back on June 26th in which he dropped a 4-2 decision while working six innings and allowing eight hits on three runs, and inducing a season-high 13 ground balls.
Boston has dominated the Yankees this season, winning all six previous meetings with the most recent being a 9-2 thrashing at Fenway on June 27th. We should also consider the COVID effect on the Yankees which will undoubtedly thin their lineup and allow the Red Sox an opportunity to pounce. Lastly, the MLB odds are giving us a reason to back Boston, making them a slight underdog in this one at all of the best online sportsbooks.
- If we take a look at a few betting trends, they all favor the Red Sox in this one:
- Red Sox are 4-0 in Perez’s last 4 starts as a road underdog.
- Red Sox are 4-0 in Perez’s last 4 Friday starts.
- Red Sox are 11-1 in their last 12 Friday games.
- Yankees are 4-10 in their last 14 during Game 1 of a series.
- Yankees are 1-4 in their last 5 Friday games.
Free MLB Pick: Red Sox -104 at SugarHouse
