At 49-50 with a three-game series against the Yankees set to begin Friday night, the Red Sox are on the edge of a slippery slope. The outcome of this weekend’s slate could determine whether the Red Sox are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.
With the Yankees running away with the AL East, the Red Sox are likely eyeing the wild card race. Even so, they are 4 1/2 games shy of the last playoff spot and looking up at Detroit, Oakland, Chicago, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Cleveland.
The urgency is palpable. After dropping seven of their last nine games –– despite the presence of Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury –– the Red Sox need to gain ground to sustain their playoff hopes.
Since the Yankees have won five of their six games against the Red Sox this season, it won’t be an easy task. Unlike the last two series, New York will be bolstered by the return of ace CC Sabathia.
Back in April, the Red Sox missed Sabathia’s turn in the rotation. Then, just three weeks ago, the pitcher was sidelined with a groin strain that caused him to skip two starts, including a showdown at Fenway Park.
Now, Sabathia –– who is 10-3 with a 3.30 ERA –– is scheduled to start on Saturday against Jon Lester, who has surrendered 17 earned runs over his past two starts against the Blue Jays and White Sox.
The Red Sox will also have their hands full with Sunday’s starter Hiroki Kuroda, who has allowed just seven hits and one earned run in his last 14 frames. Despite coughing up seven runs in his last outing against Boston on July 6, Kuroda hasn’t lost since June 19.
Only Yankees starter Phil Hughes is somewhat questionable, posting a 9-8 record with a 4.09 ERA. While he took the loss in New York’s lone defeat to Boston, Hughes has logged two straight quality outings.
Since pitching hasn’t been the Red Sox’ strong suit, it’ll take strong performances from Aaron Cook, Lester and Felix Doubront to trim the deficit in the standings. Either way, the series will have significant ramifications moving forward.
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