The Yankees and Red Sox kick off a three-game weekend series in the Bronx tonight. The Yankees are tied with the Blue Jays for second place in the AL East, 4.5 games behind the Orioles and 1/2 game ahead of the Red Sox. The two teams are tied in the loss column (the Yankees have one extra win). Both teams are within a win of their Pythagorean expectations, but the Yankees are a fraction of a win under and the Red Sox are a fraction of a win over, meaning the Yankees should be expected to increase their lead on the Sox given the performance of the two teams thus far this season. In their first six games against each other in April the Yankees and Red Sox each won their home series to split the six games right down the middle at three wins a piece.
The Yankees are currently five games over .500, their high-water mark for the season. The Red Sox were eight games over .500 back on May 11, having won 8 of their last 9 and 10 of their last 12 at that point. Since then they’ve gone 4-8 against the A’s, Mariners, Braves and Blue Jays, losing their series with the A’s and M’s and getting swept by the Blue Jays.
On the season, both the Yankees and Red Sox are having a mighty hard time against their intra division opponents:
| Opponent | New York | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| NY/Bos | 3-3 | 3-3 |
| Orioles | 1-5 | 2-2 |
| Blue Jays | 3-2 | 2-6 |
| Devil Rays | 2-4 | 4-2 |
| Total | 9-14 | 11-13 |
Here’s the roster the Red Sox bring into the Bronx tonight:
