Projo Sports Blog

The Red Sox probably don't want to miss any chances to play the Yankees right now, but it looks like tonight's game is anything but a sure bet, with showers in the forecast all afternoon and evening in Boston. But the heaviest rain doesn't look like it will arrive until after midnight, so maybe the teams will manage to get the third game in. Temperatures will fall back into the 50s, making last night's game seem balmy.

The Yankees plan to send their expensive ace, CC Sabathia, to the mound with hopes that he will end their string of misery against their division rivals. Sabathia has not pitched against Boston so far this year. He's been excellent in his last six starts, compiling a 4-0 record with 2.49 E.R.A. while averaging nearly eight innings pitched. That's exactly the kind of performance New York needs tonight after consecutive short outings by A.J. Burnett and Chien-Ming Wang. Sabathia is 2-4 with a 3.91 E.R.A. in seven career regular-season starts against the Red Sox, and he of course was a disaster against Boston in the 2007 ALCS.

Here are how members of the Red Sox have fared against Sabathia, not including postseason:

-Kevin Youkilis, 3 for 7 (.429)
-Mark Kotsay, 4 for 14 (.286), 2B, BB
-Mike Lowell, 2 for 7 (.286)
-David Ortiz, 5 for 18 (.278), 2B, HR, BB
-Julio Lugo, 4 for 18 (.222), 2B, HR, 2 BB
-Rocco Baldelli, 4 for 19 (.211), 2 2B, 2 BB
-Jason Varitek, 1 for 10 (.100), HR, BB
-Jason Bay, 0 for 3
-J.D. Drew, 0 for 3
-Nick Green, 0 for 3
-Dustin Pedroia, 0 for 3
-Jacoby Ellsbury: Never faced
-George Kottaras: Never faced

The Red Sox go with Brad Penny, making his first start of the year and second of his career (regular season) against New York. He beat the Yankees in 2000 as a rookie pitcher for the Marlins, and in the 2003 World Series won twice while giving up just three earned runs in 12.1 innings against New York. This year Penny is 5-2 with a high E.R.A. of 5.85.

Here's how members of the Yankees have fared in the regular season against Penny:

-Alex Rodriguez, 2 for 3 (.667), BB
-Derek Jeter, 1 for 3 (.333)
-Angel Berroa, 1 for 4 (.250)
-Johnny Damon, 0 for 2, BB
-Jorge Posada, 0 for 2, BB
-Mark Teixeira, 0 for 6
-Never faced: Francisco Cervelli, Robinson Cano, Ramiro Pena, Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui

 Tags  Boston Red Sox Brad Penny CC Sabathia New York Yankees

Leave a comment

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.