New York @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2014 ) Boston 4, NY Yankees 5

The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are meeting in the final series of the regular season with nothing on the line for either team except pride or the desire to send Derek Jeter off a winner. Jeter will begin the final series of his Hall of Fame career when the Yankees visit the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game set on Friday. Jeter waved goodbye to Yankee Stadium in an emotional farewell on Thursday with a walk-off single in a 6-5 victory over Baltimore.

Jeter will play the weekend but announced after Thursday’s dramatic win that he would not be playing shortstop at Fenway Park, choosing to serve as designated hitter instead. Boston is in last place in the American League East but reached the 70-win plateau on Thursday, eclipsing the 2012 squad’s total of 69 victories that marked the franchise’s worst season since 1965. The Red Sox started six rookies on both Wednesday and Thursday and put up 11 runs in each game, with Rusney Castillo, Christian Vazquez and Garin Cecchini notching their first career home runs.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WWOR (New York), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH Chris Capuano (2-4, 4.67 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Steven Wright (0-0, 3.38)

Capuano is struggling to the finish and has gone winless over his last four outings. The Massachusetts native was reached for four runs on five hits and four walks to suffer a loss against Toronto on Saturday. Capuano, who started the season with Boston, has allowed eight runs and 14 hits in 10 2/3 innings across two starts against his former team.

Wright is getting a spot start in the final weekend as the Red Sox monitor the innings of a slew of rookies in the rotation. The knuckleball specialist has served as a long reliever in five previous appearances this season and struck out six over three innings at Baltimore on Saturday. Wright has 10 strikeouts and one walk while yielding one run in nine innings at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Jeter holds a .290 batting average in 281 career games against the Red Sox, but is at .265 in 142 games at Fenway Park.

2. The Red Sox have had a franchise-record eight rookies record a homer this season.

3. Boston DH David Ortiz (wrist) is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 8, Yankees 6