Boston @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 8, 2018 ) Boston 16, NY Yankees 1
The Boston Red Sox look to wrap up a berth in the American League Championship Series when they visit the New York Yankees on Tuesday in Game 4 of the AL Division Series. The Red Sox unleashed an 18-hit attack in a 16-1 pounding of the Yankees on Monday to take a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five series.
Brock Holt hit for the first cycle in postseason history and drove in five runs as Boston handed New York its worst postseason margin of defeat in the franchise's storied history. "Offensively, we were clicking on all cylinders," Holt said in a postgame interview on TBS. "We put together a lot of good at-bats. It was fun." The Yankees look to stay alive in Game 4 and manager Aaron Boone said the only choice is to immediately erase the drubbing from their minds. "No choice but to flush," Boone said in his postgame press conference. "The good thing around (Game 3) is it's one game, and as awful of a night as it was for us, we got to turn the page, and (Game 4 is) obviously do or die."
TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, TBS
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (9-7, 3.65)
Porcello was 17-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 33 starts during the regular season, but gave up one hit while retiring two batters in a relief stint in Game 1. The 29-year-old has never recorded a postseason victory - he is 0-3 with a 5.33 ERA in 12 career appearances (four starts) - and is looking to change that with the ALCS spot on the line. "This is what it's all about," Porcello said in a press conference. "You get an opportunity to have the ball in Yankee Stadium, Game 4, this is the culmination of the entire season and leads up to your opportunities in the postseason. So I'm definitely looking forward to that and giving us a chance to win."
Sabathia hasn't pitched since Sept. 27 when he tossed five innings of one-hit shutout ball against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 38-year-old is well versed in postseason pressure due to 23 appearances (22 starts) while compiling a 10-6 record and 4.20 ERA. "I think it helps just to have experience being out there," Sabathia said in a press conference. "I can slow the game down. It's all the same now. It's not - no game is bigger than the other. So I think it helps in that way, and I've been in those situations a lot."
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox's 16 runs on Monday were their second most in a postseason game, topped by a 23-7 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 4 of the 1999 ALDS.
2. New York CF Aaron Hicks (hamstring) has missed the past two games and said he will lobby to be in the starting lineup for Game 4.
3. Boston 1B Mitch Moreland (hamstring) missed Game 3 but is expected to be available on Tuesday.
PREDICTION: Yankees 8, Red Sox 7