Boston And New York Clash Once Again

Yankees vs. Red Sox, 7:10 ET

We've been off baseball for a bit as we've had so much football taking our attention, but back we go to the board as we look to finish out this season on a strong note before we hunker down on the playoff matchups. Tonight, we bounce back onto the diamond with a matchup between two of the biggest names in the game, the Yankees and Red Sox.

I don't think at the beginning of the season either one of these teams were expected to be in the current position they are in. The Yankees were a team I thought that had a ton of potential. New York won the division last year and then bolstered their rotation. They had largely the same lineup so there was continuity there, but the problem is that they seemingly all took a step back. Sure, Aaron Judge was injured, but that can't account for the pathetic hitting of most of their regulars. The only hope they have in the remainder of the season is for them to finish above .500 and to not be in last place. This series actually can be considered the battle for last place. The Yankees are sending out Clarke Schmidt to the mound for the game. He's been pretty average for the season with a 4.54 ERA and 147 hits allowed in just 140.2 innings. He's performed worse on the road this season than he has at home, and this game happens to be in Boston. He has made three starts against the Red Sox though and only allowed five earned in 15.2 innings. His one start in Boston saw him go 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while walking and striking out three.

Boston, MA - June 18: Boston Red Sox SS Pablo Reyes takes away a hit in the fifth inning. The Red Sox beat the New York Yankees, 4-1, in Game 2 of a doubleheader. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Red Sox put a little bit of a scare into the AL East. Maybe that's an overstatement. They really put more of a scare into the Wild Card race for a while, but that's basically over. I don't think they can make up the ground unless two of these AL West teams go on a big losing streak and the Red Sox go on a big winning streak. The last time they played the Yankees, they pretty much ended New York's season, so one again they have to try and keep them away from the 4th place finish that Boston is likely destined for. In order to do that, Kutter Crawford is going to take the hill. He's been very bad for the Red Sox when he pitches at home, posting a 6.51 ERA in Fenway. He only has made one start against the Yankees this season, but it was a good one. In that game, he allowed just one earned run on one hit (a solo homer) in six innings. In his career, he's held the Yankees to just a .167 average against him so maybe he just manages to pitch well against them.

I don't really care what the record is, when Boston and New York share a field all records go right out the window. It seems like something interesting happens in every one of the series played between the two. The players know the history, and the fans hate each other. This should be a good one, but I'm looking at the history of the two starters and even with the struggles (Schmidt on the road, and Crawford at home) but both have good track records against the opposition. I'll take the under through five innings. I also think the idea of the Red Sox winning this game is a good one.

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