GAME #123, NEW YORK YANKEES AT BOSTON RED SOX

[Bear]

YANKEES V RED SOX

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2017, 1:30 PM AT FENWAY PARK

TV:  NESN, TBS, YES

NEW YORK, (66-56).................................................................................BOSTON, (70-52)

NEW YORK:

SONNY GRAY, RHP, 7-7, 3.37 ERA, 111K

Gray picked up his fist Yankee win his last start, holding the Mets to two
runs over six-plus innings.  He has completed six innings in each of his three
starts for New York.  Gray is 0-1 with a 8.38 ERA in two career starts at
Fenway Park.

BOSTON:

RICK PORCELLO, RHP, 7-14, 4.59 ERA, 145K

The sinkerballer has bounced back nicely after a tough start to the season.
Porcello has gone at least six innings in seven of his last eight starts.  He is 0-3
with a 3.79 ERA against the Yankees this season.

Gray introduced to Yankees-Red Sox rivalry

Quinn Roberts

An eventful three-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox comes to a close on Sunday at Fenway Park, when New York right-hander Sonny Gray gets his first taste of the heated rivalry against Boston right-hander Rick Porcello.

The Red Sox hold a four-game lead over the Bronx Bombers in the American League East.

Gray, who was acquired by the Yankees at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, got his first win with the club on Tuesday against the Mets. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.

"It was nice. The crowd was great," Gray said after the start. "I was just trying to go out there and pitch my game and not let anything from the outside affect my mindset and what I really wanted to do out there."

Gray is 0-1 with a 8.38 ERA in two career starts at Fenway. However, he got a win against the Red Sox on May 18 in Oakland as a member of the A's, allowing three runs on four hits in six innings.

Meanwhile, Porcello got his third straight win on Tuesday against the Cardinals, allowing three runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Porcello's Achilles heel this season has been the home run ball. The right-hander has given up a career-high 28 long balls in 25 starts. His previous high was 25 home runs in 2015.

"It's all about location and the lower portion of the strike zone," Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis said. "When he can establish the strike zone, that allows him to elevate the fastball and use his secondary pitches."

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Porcello is 0-3 with a 3.79 ERA against the Yankees this season.

• Gray is 5-4 with a 1.88 ERA over his last nine starts, the Majors' second-lowest ERA since June 25.

• Porcello has allowed 186 hits this season, just seven fewer than his entire total from last season.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170819249471724/gray-introduced-to-yankees-red-sox-rivalry/?game_pk=491951

[Bear]

Sunday vs. NYY.

Holt 2B,
Betts RF,
Benintendi LF,
Ramirez DH,
Devers 3B,
Bogaerts SS,
Moreland 1B,
Leon C,
Bradley Jr. CF,

Porcello

I would have used Devers for cleanup.

[Bill-806]

In the A L EAST,  3 runs will only win maybe 20% + -  of the time, not good...... OK, today is another day, "lets go out and win !!  O B T W,  To bad BOGEY never got the needed time to heal that wrist !! Look for NUNEZ at shortstop today !!!

[Bill-806]

Sunday vs. NYY.

Holt 2B,
Betts RF,
Benintendi LF,
Ramirez DH,
Devers 3B,
Bogaerts SS,
Moreland 1B,
Leon C,
Bradley Jr. CF,

Porcello

I would have used Devers for cleanup.

I guess that I was WRONG on Bogey getting today off ??   Can't remember the last time I was wrong !!!! thumb_u iono slap rofl

[SeaBeachFred]

Sunday vs. NYY.

Holt 2B,
Betts RF,
Benintendi LF,
Ramirez DH,
Devers 3B,
Bogaerts SS,
Moreland 1B,
Leon C,
Bradley Jr. CF,

Porcello

I would have used Devers for cleanup.

Why is Nunez and Vazquez, hot hitters, not playing today in a crucial game, and Bogaerts and Ramirez, two hitters in a deep freeze, in the lineup.  Has Farrell completely lost his efen mind?  Leon hasn't hit worth shit all season save for a few games, and we all know Bogaerts has been a total waste the past two months.  And what is worse, the choker is batting sixth again, a key RBI spot. My God, doesn't anyone see what inept leadership we're getting from that idiot in the dugout?  I am now very leery about what is going to happen today.

[Sea Dog 23]

One of the talking heads on mlb.com said on Thursday they thought the Sox had already salted away the AL East.  Sure hope Farrell hasn't done that kind of math.  The Yanks have the edge in pitching throughout the staff,  we need all the bats we can find to even up the odds.  Hot hitters getting a day off ain't gonna cut it.

[ipot]

One of the talking heads on mlb.com said on Thursday they thought the Sox had already salted away the AL East.  Sure hope Farrell hasn't done that kind of math.  The Yanks have the edge in pitching throughout the staff,  we need all the bats we can find to even up the odds.  Hot hitters getting a day off ain't gonna cut it.

Yup.  No way the Sox have locked up the East.  Lose today and it's a 3 game lead.  Then a 4 game set with CLE.  NYY could be in 1st by the 1st of September.  Sure, rattling of 10 Ws in 12 or so is a great thing, but dropping 4 of 5 changes things quickly.  We gotta get the bats going.  I'm praying Porcello doesn't start a HR Derby today.

[ojdidit]

Seems like that strike zone is shrinking today especially for Porcello.

[ipot]

And there goes dinger #1 off Porcello. Sox bats doing everything they can to keep NYY in the game. Now, Porcello's on watch to give up nothing more.   :-X :-X

[ojdidit]

Baseball really needs to test Gardner.  8)

[ipot]

Porcello got it done through 6. Now the pen that can't scare the NYY.

[Schloicka]

So far the pen has looked good.Workman and Reed with a couple 123 innings. (Holt made a nice play in there too.) Now it's Kimbrel time with the Sox up 5-1 in the top of the 9th.

[Schloicka]

Sox win and take 2/3 in the series. The bridge to Kimbrel worked great today. Good pitching all the way around for the Sox.

[markj]

Who would have thought the one game we lose would be Sale's? So still 5 up. Good deal.

[Rob from Mass]

Just got in from a golf tournament with Grandaughter to see Kimbrel 2 Ks.Seems like Porcello looked like 2016.Farrell put in Holt and Sandy seemed to work out damn good looking at the stats.They did what they needed to at least take 2  .Lead gained 1 to 5.