Yankees at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox aren't conceding the American League East title just yet after unleashing a historic offensive performance and will try to shave another game off New York's big lead when they host the Yankees on Friday in the second contest of their four-game series. Boston is 3-1 in a stretch of 14 straight games against New York and Tampa Bay after Thursday's 19-3 victory marked the most runs it has ever scored against the Yankees.
Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts is the reigning AL MVP, but teammates Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts are making a run at the award this year. The left-side infielders have a combined 44 home runs and 161 RBIs after teaming up to go 6-for-11 with three home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored Thursday. New York didn't arrive in Boston until 5 a.m. on Thursday after completing a three-game series in Minnesota the night before, perhaps helping to slow the red-hot bats of Aaron Hicks, Edwin Encarnacion and Didi Gregorius to a combined 1-for-12. The Red Sox' Andrew Cashner on Friday takes the ball in his first experience of what is arguably the greatest rivalry in sports and opposes James Paxton, who pitches at Fenway Park for the first time.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; WPIX (New York), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH James Paxton (5-5, 4.20 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Andrew Cashner (9-5, 4.19)
Paxton had a string of three straight quality starts snapped when he allowed seven runs (four earned), five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-4 loss to Colorado on Sunday. The 30-year-old British Columbia native has a 1.47 WHIP this season, which would mark the highest of his career. Mookie Betts is 3-for-15 versus Paxton, who is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in five starts against Boston after striking out 10 and allowing two hits in eight innings of an 8-0 victory April 16.
Cashner has lost his first two starts with the Red Sox, including a 5-0 loss at Baltimore - his former team - on Sunday when he allowed four runs and six hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. The 32-year-old Texan didn't yield a home run in his final five outings - all quality ones - with the Orioles but has yielded four with Boston. The Yankees' Gleyber Torres is 6-for-13 with two home runs and Luke Voit is 5-for-7 with a homer against Cashner, who is 2-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 10 starts against New York - 0-2, 6.19 in three turns this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox, who lead baseball with 5.77 runs per game, have scored eight or more versus the Yankees in four straight contests for the first time since 1912.
2. New York placed LF Brett Gardner (left knee inflammation) on the 10-day injured list Thursday and recalled LHP Stephen Tarpley from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
3. Boston has scored 39 runs in the first inning of its last 25 games after producing 33 in its first 80 contests this season.