Boston @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 9, 2010 ) NY Yankees 3, Boston 9
Boston general manager Theo Epstein raised the ire of Red Sox Nation earlier in the season when he labeled 2010 as a "bridge season".
Epstein may be right on the money. It seems like the Red Sox have been trying to keep their heads above water all year.
Currently in fourth place in the AL East and trailing the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by 7.5 games, the Red Sox begin a two-game series against the New York Yankees on Monday.
Boston is coming off back-to-back losses at the Detroit Tigers and plays a crucial stretch of 10 straight games against four of the best teams in baseball.
That could spell trouble for Boston, which enters Monday's game with a 19-19 mark on the season. The Red Sox are just 3-10 against teams playing above .600 for the season and that's all they'll see for the next week and a half.
Monday's matchup will be no easy task for the Red Sox. The Yankees will start Phil Hughes, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball thus far.
Hughes is 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA. Prior to the season, manager Joe Girardi pondered whether to return Hughes - who pitched mainly out of the bullpen last year - to the starting rotation.
Hughes has relished the role. He's gone 37 innings without allowing a home run and has 39 strikeouts in 39 innings on the season. He's won five of his six starts and left with a lead in the other game.
Boston turns to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is coming off his best performance of the season. The Japanese Hurler was solid in a 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, limiting them to three hits and one run in seven innings.
The Yankees have won 11 of their last 13 games at home but lost to the Minnesota Twins, 6-3, on Sunday after getting a rare blown save by closer Mariano Rivera. Rivera had saved 51 straight games at home before he was touched up for two runs in one-third of an inning.
Rivera entered the game with a 3-1 lead and the bases loaded and two outs. He walked Jim Thome to force home one run and then allowed a grand slam to Jason Kubel.
Boston expects to have Dustin Pedroia back in the lineup. Pedroia missed Sunday's 5-1 loss at Detroit with a sore knee.
Josh Beckett came out of Saturday's side session fine and will start Tuesday's game. The Red Sox hoped to get Mike Cameron back for the Yankees' series but now it seems unlikely.
Jacoby Ellsbury will start his rehab assignment in Triple-A Pawtucket Monday.