Tom Viera previews the New York Yankees v Boston Red Sox and picks out the best bets on the game.
We get a 15 game slate all tonight starting at 7:05. What a great way to kick off another massive weekend of sports that includes the Stanley Cup, NBA Finals, and the greatest rivalry in all of sports, The Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees. The 4 game series was set to kick off last night but was disrupted by thunderstorms and will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on August 3rd. The weather tonight will be absolutely beautiful in the Bronx, 73 degrees clear skies and calm winds.
The Yankees send J.A. Happ to the mound tonight against Chris Sale. In Sale’s only start this season against the Yanks he surrendered 4 runs in 5 innings. Although he has a subpar 1-6 record he is pitching much better of late. He owns a 2.44 ERA in his last 7 starts since that game against these Yankees. In his career he is 6-5 with a great 1.87 ERA versus New York. Shockingly, the Bronx Bombers are 27th in MLB against lefties at home batting just .226.
J.A. Happ is 3-0 with a 5.40 ERA his last 3 starts. In his career, the veteran southpaw is 8-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 22 games against Boston. Happ’s first full season in pinstripes hasn’t gone as exactly to plan thanks to a 5.09 ERA, but his problem has been mostly keeping the ball in the park. The lefty has already surrendered 14 home runs in his 11 starts this season, including five in his past three starts. J.D. Martinez is +340 to hit a home run tonight. Steve Pearce (+430) has hit 6 homers off Happ and is batting .315 in 35 at-bats.
The Yankees hold the advantage in the bullpen as they rank 5th compared to Boston at 16th in MLB. The Yankees currently hold a 7 and a half game lead over the Sox and they know what they can accomplish this weekend. I expect Sale to dominate this Yankees lineup tonight and Boston to get the win.
