I hate the Yankees, but I really like their chances against the Red Sox.
As you know, I am a lifetime Boston Red Sox fan and feel about the Yankees the way Carolina regards Duke and vice versa. But, frankly, I like their chances in the best-of-five American League Divisional Series that opens tonight in Boston.
Just like many sports fans around the country think Duke goes to the Final Four every year, the Yankees and Red Sox have a great regular-season rivalry but, surprisingly, have not met in the playoffs since 2004, when the Sox came back for that 0-3 deficit to win the AL pennant.
These may be the two best teams in baseball in 2018, with the Red Sox winning 108 games compared to 100 for the Yankees, who defeated Oakland in the American League wild card game to set up what should go all five games with question marks for both mashing teams.
Although the Sox won the regular-season series 10 games to 9, they lost four of the last six to the Yankees who are now playing their best baseball with their full complement of sluggers back from injuries, including home-run machine Aaron Judge. New York set the new Major League record for homers by a team during the 2018 season.
While the Yanks’ starting rotation of Severino, Tanaka, Happ and Sabathia was up and down all summer, their bullpen is deep from middle relief to flame-throwing closers Dellin Batances and Aroldis Chapman. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have trouble up and down their pitching staff.
Lefty ace Chris Sale gets the ball in the opener, but Sale missed most of September with an inflamed throwing shoulder. Second starter David Price has been bombed by the Bombers in Yankee Stadium this season, so he will pitch the second game at Fenway Park. Sale, Price and third starter Rick Porcello do not have a single win in the post-season, which makes their starters far more vulnerable in the playoffs.
Boston broke open the AL East race by sweeping the Yankees in four games last August. Their lineup led by Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez was better back then, but not now. With Judge and Gary Sanchez healthy again, the edge may go to their arch rival. And that scares me to death.
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