Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Boston Red Sox play a three-game series at Fenway Park starting on Friday night…
Preview
Payback
This weekend’s series will be the second in as many weeks between the two rivals, but the Yankees will hope the results are different this time around. After dropping two at Yankee Stadium, New York will look to bounce back in the season series with three in Boston. The teams are largely the same from a week ago, but there are a few new wrinkles added in — more on that later.
Although the Red Sox enter Friday 9.5 games back of the Yanks in the AL East standings, New York needs to take advantage of the below-.500 club.
The Roman Anthony effect
One huge change to the Red Sox is the addition of top prospect Roman Anthony. The Red Sox called up the slugging outfielder on Monday and will get his first taste of the rivalry this weekend. Or will he?
The Yankees are set to use three southpaws this weekend (Ryan Yarbrough, Carlos Rodon, Max Fried) and Red Sox manager Alex Cora may stay away from using the left-handed youngster. We’ll have to see what the lineups this weekend look like, but the Red Sox are 2-1 since Anthony’s call-up, and although the rookie is 1-for-12 in his first three big league games, his two-run double was the catalyst for their win on Tuesday.
Rodon gets a redo
Rodon has been great this season, but on the mound in the rubber game against the Red Sox last Sunday, the southpaw pitched a dud.
The left-hander pitched just five innings, allowing five runs on three hits and three walks, which helped Boston clinch the weekend series for the Red Sox. Rodon will get a chance to redeem himself this weekend when he toes the rubber in Boston. Rodon is scheduled to pitch Saturday and, depending on how Friday’s game goes, the veteran starter could be the difference in whether the Yankees win or lose the series, again.
Yankees bullpen in flux
The Yankees’ bullpen is beat up, to say the least. While they await Luke Weaver‘s return, Mark Leiter Jr. has struggled in recent games and they’ve optioned Yerry De los Santos back to the minors to get a fresh arm in the bullpen for this weekend’s series. Who did they call up? Why, Scott Effross, of course.
Effross pitched in just three games last season after recovering from Tommy John surgery and suffered a hamstring injury this spring that has kept him off the team this year. The team feels Effross is ready to return to The Show, but he’s struggled in the minors this season. In five Triple-A appearances, the veteran right-hander has allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and two walks across 5.2 innings.
The return of Giancarlo Stanton?
The biggest question mark for the Yankees this weekend is whether Stanton will be in the lineup. Stanton has started three straight days in Triple-A and could potentially be ready to be activated.
Boston will only deploy one left-hander this weekend — Garrett Crochet on Friday — so perhaps Stanton won’t be in the lineup at all this weekend. But if he’s activated, he could be a potential bench threat that the Yankees haven’t had all year.
Predictions
Who will be the MVP of the series?
Aaron Judge
Judge is on a season-long tear and there’s no reason to think it won’t continue in Boston.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
After a rocky start in LA, Fried has bounced back to be the ace the Yankees need.
Which Red Sox player will be a thorn in Yankees’ side?
Rafael Devers
Devers is a career .272 hitter with 30 home runs and 77 RBI against the Yankees. Enough said.
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