(My Sportsbook) - The
Boston Red Sox make what in all likelihood will be their final visit to the current Yankee Stadium this evening, as they kick off a critical three-game series with the
New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Boston enters this series trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by 4 1/2 in the AL East, but hold a 1 1/2-game edge on the Minnesota Twins in the wild card.
New York, meanwhile, is 9 1/2 games back of the Rays and five behind the Red Sox.
The Red Sox took two of three over the weekend from the Toronto Blue Jays, including a 6-5 win in 11 innings on Sunday. Jed Lowrie's solo homer was the difference in that one, while Jonathan Papelbon (5-3) tossed two innings of shutout relief to get the win.
Manny Delcarmen took Papelbon's usual spot as the closer and picked up his first save of the season. Dustin Pedroia and Coco Crisp also homered for the Red Sox, who have won four of six.
Boston will have knuckleballer Tim Wakefield on the hill this evening for the first time since August 6. The righty, who has been on the disabled list with tightness in his right shoulder, is 7-8 on the year with a 3.67 earned run average.
Wakefield is 9-17 lifetime against the Yankees with a 5.14 ERA in 47 games, 30 of which have been starts.
New York will pin its hopes on lefty Andy Pettitte, who is 13-9 with a 4.17 ERA this season. Pettitte won for the first time in five starts on Wednesday in Toronto, as he allowed a run and five hits in seven innings.
Pettitte defeated the Red Sox the last time he faced them and is 16-7 in his career against them with a 3.54 ERA in 31 games (29 starts).
New York, of course, will have to finish strong if it plans on keeping its streak of 13 straight playoff appearances intact. The Yankees helped themselves a little over the weekend, sweeping the lowly Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, culminating with an 8-7 win on Sunday.
Robinson Cano went 4-for-5, and hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning to lift the Yanks to the win in the finale, as they won for the fourth time in five tries and completed a six-game road trip at 4-2.
Starter Darrell Rasner did not factor into the decision as he was touched for five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. Edwar Ramirez (4-1) got the win with his 1 1/3 innings of relief, in which he gave up a run on two hits.
New York has split its 12 matchups with the Red Sox this season.
