We’re halfway home! Boston didn’t need a miracle ninth last night but, behind another clutch Clay Buchholz quality start and a steady assault from the bats, the Sox won 7-4. I didn’t necessarily expect the dramatic way in which Boston would win on Thursday night, but the series has more or less gone just as I expected thus far. Eddie Rodriguez got the biggest win in the opener in a highly competitive atmosphere and Clay followed it up with a good outing where he got plenty of run support in game two. Now the Yankees must begin to feel on the outside of the AL wild card race with two games left to play in Boston. If they want to avoid that four-game sweep that we’ve been calling for, they’ll have to beat either David Price or Drew Pomeranz, who are each heavy favorites over the weekend. The BoSox train doesn’t stop on Saturday.
Free Pick
John Farrell thinks David Price could be on the best run of his career. All I know is that I really like his chances to win, and win big, on Saturday. The ace who struggled so mightily at the start of the season has rewarded those fans who have remained faithful. Price has been dynamite over his last six starts, allowing nine runs combined (1,0,2,2,2,2) in 42 innings. He’s struck out 17 and walked none in his last two outings and now gets a fourth chance against the Yankees, who have roughed him up in three starts this year that all came before July 18.
With Price and the Boston bats hot, it isn’t hard to understand why Vegas has made Bryan Mitchell such a discernible underdog on Saturday afternoon. Mitchell had made three starts in his career prior to the two he’s made this month. It started very well when he tossed five shutout innings to beat Toronto, but things unravelled for him the last time out against the Dodgers. Mitchell’s given up 13 hits in 7.1 innings since being called up from the minors. But that hardly feels worth mentioning. Any pitcher in baseball would find Fenway this afternoon to be a monster task. And last night was evidence that there really isn’t anyone in the Yankees’ bullpen that will get outs once Mitchell is lifted.
Let’s go for 17 out of 19, for another half unit.
Gut Says: Boston -1.5 (-125)
YTD: 35-23-1 +5.88
2015: 31-25-5 +1.09
2014: 45-28-3 +9.02
al east • Boston Red Sox • bryan mitchell • david price • fenway park • New York Yankees • wildcard