PREMIUM
Stephen Nover's Second-Half MLB Game of the Year
(MLB) NY Yankees vs. Boston,
Money Line: -105.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Loss
Money Line: -105.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Loss
After Derek Jeter's storybook ending in his final game at Yankee Stadium - dramatically driving in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning last night - I can't see the Yankees being motivated at all for this matchup.
The Yankees are out of the playoffs and Jeter may not even be in the lineup. The Yankees probably did some celebrating last night. following their raucous on the field celebrating. Beating the Orioles in Jeter's last home game was their World Series.
So the last thing the Yankees feel like doing is traveling - and facing a knuckleball pitcher they have never seen. But that's the situation here. Right-handed knuckler Steven Wright is going to make his first start of the season. He has a 3.38 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and an 18-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 innings out of the Boston bullpen.
The Yankees have dropped seven of their last nine road games. They also are 2-7 in their last nine road matchups when facing a right-hander.
Sparked by youngsters - who will be motivated to face the Yankees - the Red Sox have won four of their last six games. Boston has scored 11 runs in each of its last two games.
The Red Sox get to dine on Chris Capuano in this game, their former teammate. Capuano is washed-up. He never even would have received a whiff of New York's starting rotation if not for the Yankees' many starting pitching injuries.
Capuano is 2-4 with a 4.67 ERA. He has a 6.61 ERA this month. He's allowed at least four earned runs in five of his last eight starts despite being only a five-inning type of pitcher and has a 7-to-10 strikeouts-to-walks ratio in his last three outings. The Yankees are the fifth team he's pitching for in the last five years after the Red Sox gave up on him earlier this season.
The Red Sox are playing well. Their young hitters are hot. The Yankees have a terrible starter going, their closer has a fatigue rating and they are in a monster letdown spot.
The Yankees are out of the playoffs and Jeter may not even be in the lineup. The Yankees probably did some celebrating last night. following their raucous on the field celebrating. Beating the Orioles in Jeter's last home game was their World Series.
So the last thing the Yankees feel like doing is traveling - and facing a knuckleball pitcher they have never seen. But that's the situation here. Right-handed knuckler Steven Wright is going to make his first start of the season. He has a 3.38 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and an 18-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 innings out of the Boston bullpen.
The Yankees have dropped seven of their last nine road games. They also are 2-7 in their last nine road matchups when facing a right-hander.
Sparked by youngsters - who will be motivated to face the Yankees - the Red Sox have won four of their last six games. Boston has scored 11 runs in each of its last two games.
The Red Sox get to dine on Chris Capuano in this game, their former teammate. Capuano is washed-up. He never even would have received a whiff of New York's starting rotation if not for the Yankees' many starting pitching injuries.
Capuano is 2-4 with a 4.67 ERA. He has a 6.61 ERA this month. He's allowed at least four earned runs in five of his last eight starts despite being only a five-inning type of pitcher and has a 7-to-10 strikeouts-to-walks ratio in his last three outings. The Yankees are the fifth team he's pitching for in the last five years after the Red Sox gave up on him earlier this season.
The Red Sox are playing well. Their young hitters are hot. The Yankees have a terrible starter going, their closer has a fatigue rating and they are in a monster letdown spot.
