May 21st @ New York

[RedSoxRooter]

Game Info:

Date: Monday, May 21st, 2007

Teams: Boston Red Sox (30-13) @ New York Yankees (19-23)

First Pitch: 7:05pm EDT

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York

TV: NESN/Yeah

 

Starting Pitchers:

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/4906.jpghttp://bellsouthpwp.net/c/h/chinigor/TALKSOX/VS.GIFhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/7502.jpg

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/bos.gif#49 Tim Wakefield (4-4, 2.41)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/nyy.gif#40 Chien-Ming Wang (2-3, 4.54 ERA)

 

 

Red Sox - Yankees Preview

So far this season, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry hasn't been much of a contest.

New York looks to begin chipping away at Boston's impressive lead in the AL East standings when the teams open a three-game series Monday at Yankee Stadium.

 

The Red Sox (30-13) own the best record in baseball and a 10 1/2-game lead over the Yankees (19-23) and Baltimore, who are tied for second place in the East. The margin is the largest for Boston since it held a 10 1/2-game over New York on Sept. 20, 1995.

 

"Right now, it's still May," Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis told his team's official Web site. "You can't just play two months. It would be great if the season ended today, and we were the first-place team."

 

The Red Sox have dominated the Yankees so far this season, sweeping a three-game series at Fenway Park April 20-22, and taking two of three in the Bronx one week later.

 

The Yankees are 10-9 since the last meeting, while Boston is 14-5 over that span.

 

"It's their problem right now," Boston slugger David Ortiz told the Red Sox's official Web site. "We're playing well. We're doing our thing right now. They have to figure out what they need to do to beat us."

 

The Red Sox have won four of five games overall, and took two of three at home against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. Youkilis went 3-for-3 with a homer in Sunday's 6-3 win, and is batting .446 (25-for-56) during a 13-game hitting streak.

 

The Yankees, meanwhile, beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak and salvage one game during the weekend's Subway Series. Tyler Clippard, promoted from Triple-A after Darrell Rasner broke a finger Saturday, became the seventh rookie pitcher to start for the Yankees, but gave up just one run in six strong innings to earn the win.

 

Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada both homered and extended their hitting streaks to 15 games, and Alex Rodriguez added his major league-leading 17th homer.

 

"Until we can straighten ourselves out, we can't be concerned about catching someone else," manager Joe Torre said of the upcoming series.

 

The Yankees will send Chien-Ming Wang (2-3, 4.54 ERA) to the mound in the opener.

 

The right-hander allowed one run in seven innings of an 8-1 win over the White Sox on Wednesday, helping the Yankees earn a doubleheader split in Chicago. He bounced back nicely from his start on May 10, when he allowed seven runs and 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 14-2 loss to Texas.

 

Wang is 2-4 with a 5.05 ERA in eight career appearances, including seven starts, against the Red Sox. He has lost each of his last two starts against them, including a 7-4 home defeat on April 29, when he allowed four runs in six innings.

 

Boston, meanwhile, moved Tim Wakefield (4-4, 2.41) back a day so he could start Monday's opener. The 40-year-old knuckleballer is coming off his worst outing of the season, as he allowed five runs and nine hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 7-2 loss to Detroit.

 

The Red Sox have given him just eight runs of support in his last nine defeats dating to last season.

 

Wakefield is 9-14 with a 4.61 ERA in 43 career appearances, including 26 starts, against the Yankees. He has lost his last two starts against them, including a defeat on April 28 at Yankee Stadium in which he allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings.

 

Wakefield has been strong on the road this season, going 3-2 with a 1.39 ERA in five starts.

 

MOJO of the day: You decide.

 

[youtube=mojovid]kOWqs4Gl6Kw

 

GO SOX!

[yeszir]

Stupidest video ever.

[redsoxrules]

[TedWilliams101]

Just win. Just win.

[adam123]

time to put away the yankees for good .. GO SOX SWEEP TIME

[adam123]

20 game lead by all star break

[ksushi]

STOP JINXING!

[HeadOfSoxNation]

I feel good about these games...

 

Anyone who's really a Sox or a Yanks fan will be just as fired up for the games tonight as they would be if the two teams were 2 or 3 games apart. You've gotta respect the other club and know that no matter how many games up on team is, the other is NOT out of it until totally mathematically eliminated. These 3 games have huge implications, regardless of what anyone might tell you to the contrary.

 

Wake pitches well against the Yanks and I don't think Wang is as good as some people make him out to be. I bet Wakefield limits the Yanks to 3 or 4 runs, we've just gotta push some guys across the plate to back him (for once) and we should get a W in game one.

 

Great win yesterday; wouldn't have wanted to go into The Stadium after the trouncing we took at the hands of the Braves on Saturday evening. The second game of a double-header is always the game you remember, so the hitting display the Sox put on in game one would have been a wash. Let's keep this train rolling and build our lead.

[jacksonianmarch]

I actually feel pretty good about these games from my end as well. I think we can take 2 of 3 and start a mini roll. And tonight is actually the game I think we lose. We never seem to get to Wakefield and the sox like to hit against Wang. If we take tonight's game, we should sweep and get within 7.

[riverside sluggers]

Tim Wakefield (44 games vs New York, 9-15 record & 1 save with a 4.77 ERA---Career at Yankee Stadium in 20 games, 5-7 record with a 4.13 ERA)

Johnny Damon, 16 for 51 (.314 avg) 3 Doubles, Triple, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 6 Walks, 9 Ks, 5 SBs

Derek Jeter, 28 for 84 (.333 avg) Double, Triple, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 5 Walks, 15 Ks, 9 SBs

Hideki Matsui, 7 for 43 (.163 avg) Double, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 5 Walks, 7 Ks, SB

Alex Rodriguez, 17 for 67 (.254 avg) 6 HRs, 9 RBIs, 9 Walks, 19 Ks, 5 SBs

Jorge Posada, 14 for 59 (.237 avg) 4 Doubles, 3 HRs, 14 RBIs, 13 Walks, 8 Ks

Bobby Abreu, 5 for 17 (.294 avg) Double, 2 Walks, 3 Ks, 3 SBs

Jason Giambi, 15 for 82 (.183 avg) 4 Doubles, Triple, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs, 18 Walks, 18 Ks

Robinson Cano, 7 for 27 (.259 avg) 3 Doubles, Triple, HR, 6 RBIs, 4 Ks

Doug Mientkiewicz, 1 for 19 (.053 avg) Double, Walk, 3 Ks

///

Melky Cabrera, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Double, RBI

Miguel Cairo, 4 for 18 (.222 avg) Double, Walk, 4 Ks, SB

Josh Phelps, 8 for 25 (.320 avg), 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, 7 Ks

 

Chien-Ming Wang (9 games vs Boston, 3-4 record with a 4.83 ERA---Career at Yankee Stadium in 31 games, 18-7 record with a 3.41 ERA)

Julio Lugo, 6 for 23 (.261 avg) Double, 4 Walks, 4 Ks, SB

Kevin Youkilis, 5 for 14 (.357 avg) 2 Doubles, RBI, 5 Walks, K

David Ortiz, 10 for 22 (.455 avg) 3 Doubles, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs, 4 Walks, 2 Ks

Manny Ramirez, 11 for 19 (.579 avg) 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 4 Walks, 3 Ks

J.D. Drew, 0 for 3

Mike Lowell, 3 for 18 (.167 avg) Double, 3 Walks, 2 Ks

Coco Crisp, 4 for 14 (.286 avg) Triple, Walk, 2 Ks

Doug Mirabelli, 2 for 7 (.286 avg) RBI

Alex Cora, 5 for 15 (.333 avg) HR, 4 RBIs

///

Eric Hinske, 10 for 19 (.526 avg) 4 Doubles, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, Walk

Wily Mo Pena, 0 for 5, 2 Ks

Jason Varitek, 1 for 12 (.083 avg) HR, RBI, 2 Ks

[riverside sluggers]

I actually feel pretty good about these games from my end as well. I think we can take 2 of 3 and start a mini roll. And tonight is actually the game I think we lose. We never seem to get to Wakefield and the sox like to hit against Wang. If we take tonight's game' date=' we should sweep and get within 7.[/quote']

 

7.5

 

Besides that, I dont see this current Sox team getting into pro-longed slumps. The yankees yes are abound to get hot at any minute but isnt easier said that done that somehow the bullpen will be energized and youthful? Clemens will help stabilize the team and then hand the ball to the bullpen in the 6th inning

[TedWilliams101]

Lowell with back-to-back games off? Hmm. I hope that the lineup is wrong or Tito is just going with the numbers and not that Lowell is hurting.

[riverside sluggers]

Ted, at first I just throw out the lineups like how I see the stats. Later on I'll update when they are available. Lowell or most likely Drew will sit with Hinske's numbers being good as they are, never know tho Hinske could ride the pine

[HeadOfSoxNation]

Lowell with back-to-back games off? Hmm. I hope that the lineup is wrong or Tito is just going with the numbers and not that Lowell is hurting.

 

Yea I agree...you lose Tek's bat, which has undergone a resurgence, with Wake on the mound...I don't think you should remove Lowell's bat as well. Hinske's numbers are good, so he's probably just going with that. I don't know. But, I guess this is why we post on a message board and Tito manages the Sox; hopefully he knows something we don't.

[Ray10]

This is going to be one good game then again any Boston vs New York game is a good game. I know what I will be doing tonight.

[TedWilliams101]

This is going to be one exciting night. I'll try to watch the 2 hour finale of 24 and the sox game.

[riverside sluggers]

As I said before, "you never kno that Hinske could end up riding pine"

 

That bodes true as he is not in the lineup, Im in the process of editing both lineups

[ryanromine]

I am pumped to watch this game tonight! Finally the dish us up and ready to go

 

Go Sox

[jacksonianmarch]

7.5

 

Besides that, I dont see this current Sox team getting into pro-longed slumps. The yankees yes are abound to get hot at any minute but isnt easier said that done that somehow the bullpen will be energized and youthful? Clemens will help stabilize the team and then hand the ball to the bullpen in the 6th inning

 

I dont see the current team getting into prolonged slumps either so long as your pitchers arent missed for an extended period of time. Beckett isnt really set back. Even though he is on the DL, he can still throw and pitch at full force. If anyone gets hit with a rehabbable injury, then you will feel the brunt. At the same time, if Beckett's cut doesnt heal 100% and your 5 slot starts acting like a f***ing 5 hole, then prolonged slumps could set in. When your rotation is down to 2 reliable pitchers then things get interesting. And right now, Wake is the 3rd reliable guy along with Schilling and Matsuzaka. If Schilling continues his minislump, Beckett needs more time, and Tavarez comes back down to earth, then you may be primed for a long slump. Until then, your slumps seem to last 9 innings at a time and then you are right back off the matt.

[riverside sluggers]

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article_perspectives.jsp?ymd=20070520&content_id=1976434&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp

 

Good article about how this year it seems the "tables have been turned" in this rivalry

[yeszir]

I'm still not wholly convinced that the Red Sox are immune to a collapse and that the Yankees are thoroughly f***ed.

[BoSox21]

this season is sooooo far from over. ill only feel comfortable if we're up 10 games in september

[adam123]

Its just nice to see all the guys doing so good Youk is a beast turning into one hella of 1st basemen

[yeszir]

this season is sooooo far from over. ill only feel comfortable if we're up 10 games in september

 

...with 9 left to play.

[adam123]

T minus 40 min and counting till beat down time for wang

[seabeachfred]

Simply put, if we allow the Yankees to climb back in this race by sweeping us we will deserve every kick in the ass we get. It must not only not happen, we must to whatever needed to take this series. I kind of got bummed by that horseshit video I saw about Jeter and A-Rod, a pretty dumb piece of crap, and I hope it doesn't jinx us in this series. This evening we have to get a sterling performance from Tim and some solid hitting support from our offense and take the first game back into the clubhouse as winners. Win tonight and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

[riverside sluggers]

Well duh of course I dont think this season is already over. Ive said many a times that Im dreading one of the Yankees' hot summer runs

[adam123]

Simply put' date=' if we allow the Yankees to climb back in this race by sweeping us we will deserve every kick in the ass we get. It must not only not happen, we must to whatever needed to take this series. I kind of got bummed by that horseshit video I saw about Jeter and A-Rod, a pretty dumb piece of crap, and I hope it doesn't jinx us in this series. This evening we have to get a sterling performance from Tim and some solid hitting support from our offense and take the first game back into the clubhouse as winners. Win tonight and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.[/quote']

 

Hell ya ... we need to put it to them this series time to kick'em when there down time to show them who the beast of the AL east is . I really cant belive that the yankees have only 3 wins against the AL east . wow

[RedSoxRooter]

I really cant belive that the yankees have only 3 wins against the AL east . wow

 

Damn. I thought that was a typo at first.

[Beckett95]

Lowell with back-to-back games off? Hmm. I hope that the lineup is wrong or Tito is just going with the numbers and not that Lowell is hurting.

 

probably going with numbers since Youk and Hinske both have good numbers against Wang and Lowell not so much

 

EDIT: just read hinske isnt in the lineup which kinda surprises me since he was really good numbers against him and lowell doesnt