Red Sox at Yankees
The New York Yankees guaranteed that they would finish the series in first place in the American League when they turned away the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The Yankees will try to take the rubber match and boost their lead to three games over their arch rivals when they host the Red Sox in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday.
New York won the battle of former Cy Young Award winners on Wednesday by backing a strong start from CC Sabathia with a pair of home runs off Rick Porcello in the 8-0 drubbing. One of those home runs - a solo blast in the third - came from shortstop Didi Gregorius, who hit safely in each of the last nine games and slugged home runs in two of the last four. Gregorius is 10-for-21 with a home run and five RBIs in his career against left-hander David Price, who gets the start for Boston on Thursday opposite Yankees righty Michael Pineda. The Red Sox had a three-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday while being shut out for the fifth time this season.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, NESN (Boston), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH David Price (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (6-3, 3.76)
Price is making his third start of the season after recovering from elbow soreness and certainly looked healthy in his first two outings. The Vanderbilt product allowed two hits in five innings at the Chicago White Sox in his season debut and followed that up by holding the Baltimore Orioles to one run on three hits in seven innings on Saturday. Price went 1-3 with a 7.89 ERA in five starts against New York in his first season with the Red Sox last year.
Pineda had a string of five straight quality starts come to an end when he allowed five runs and a season-high 10 hits in five innings at Toronto on Friday. The Dominican Republic native allowed three or fewer earned runs in nine straight starts before facing the Blue Jays. Pineda is 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 11 career starts against Boston, including 0-2 in four starts last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts is 4-for-28 over his last seven games.
2. Yankees 1B Chris Carter is 4-for-8 with a pair of home runs in the series to lift his batting average to .202.
3. Boston is expected to recall LHP Brian Johnson to start on Friday in place of LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (knee).