The Red Sox send southpaw Jon Lester (5-5, 5.09 ERA) to the mound as they open a three-game interleague series at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies and Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.46).
Boston capped a six-game homestand with Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the Yankees, completing a three-game sweep over its division rivals. The Red Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 games overall and they’ve won four straight on the highway. Also, despite losing two of three at home to the Mets last month, Boston is still 53-18 in its last 71 interleague contests, including 24-9 in its last 33 on the road and 35-17 in its last 52 versus N.L. East foes.
Philadelphia ended a 10-game, three-city road trip in New York on Thursday, grabbing a 6-3, 10-inning win over the Mets to finish the journey with a 7-3 mark. The Phillies are on impressive runs of 10-3 overall, 4-1 at home, 5-1 in interleague play (all against the A.L. East), 4-1 on Friday, 40-17 against winning teams, 20-6 versus left-handed starters and 12-2 at home against southpaws.
The Red Sox took two of three last year at Citizens Bank and they’re 13-3 in the last 16 battles with the Phillies, including 8-2 in the last 10 in Philadelphia.
Lester is coming off a complete-game, 8-1 home victory over Texas, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning and finishing allowing one run on two hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. Over his last two starts, including an 8-2 victory at Toronto, Lester has surrendered a combined two runs, five hits and five walks with 23 strikeouts. However, he’s still just 2-3 with a 6.14 ERA in six road efforts this season.
Boston is 42-20 in Lester’s last 62 starts overall, 7-1 in his last eight interleague outings and 5-0 in his last five against the N.L. East. However, the Sox have lost four straight Friday contests behind Lester. His only career start against the Phillies came a year ago in Philadelphia, and he pitched seven scoreless innings en route to a 3-0 victory.
Blanton has been sharp in his last three outings, going 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He got a no-decision Saturday in Los Angeles, limiting the Dodgers to a run on five hits in six innings, but the Phillies lost 3-2 in 12 innings. With Blanton pitching, Philadelphia is on hot streaks of 4-1 overall, 7-0 in series openers and 9-2 at home, where the portly right-hander is 1-2 with a hefty 6.75 ERA in five starts this season.
Blanton made eight starts against the Red Sox when he was with Oakland, going 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA.
For the Red Sox, the “under” is on streaks of 21-6-2 overall, 7-2 on the road, 13-3-2 against right-handed starters, 7-2-1 in interleague action, 5-0-2 on Friday, 4-0 in series openers and 4-1 when Lester faces National League competition. Similarly, the Phillies carry “under” trends of 13-5-1 overall, 5-1 at home, 7-2 against southpaw starters, 13-3-1 in interleague play, 4-0 against the A.L. East.
Conversely, the over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these clubs and 4-1 in the last five clashes in Philly.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
N.Y. Mets (31-27) at N.Y. Yankees (34-26)
The Yankees and Mets renew their Subway Series rivalry with the first-ever meeting at new Yankee Stadium. Joba Chamberlain (3-1, 3.79) is scheduled to toe the slab for the home team against Mets veteran Livan Hernandez (5-1, 3.88).
The Mets ended a three-game set against division rival Philadelphia with last night’s 6-3 loss in 10 innings. New York has followed up a 7-2 run by losing six of its last nine. The Mets have also dropped five of their last seven road games, but the two victories came last month in an interleague series in Boston. Jerry Manuel’s club is 4-1 in its last five games in American League parks, 5-1 in its last six series openers and 37-18 in its last 55 on Friday.
The Yankees return home after getting swept in Boston this week, ending with Thursday’s 4-3 loss. The Bronx Bombers still remain on positive runs of 19-9 overall, 12-4 at home, 8-2 on Friday, 55-22 when hosting N.L. competition. However, they did lose two of three to the Phillies at the new stadium three weeks ago.
The Mets went 4-2 against their rivals last season, including sweeping a three-game set at old Yankee Stadium by the combined score of 33-12.
Hernandez dominated the Nationals in a 7-0 victory Sunday, scattering four hits and four walks in seven scoreless innings. The 34-year-old right-hander has won five straight decisions and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last four trips to the mound.
Hernandez is 3-1 with a 4.07 ERA in seven road starts, but 0-3 with a 6.37 ERA in five career starts versus the Yankees.
Chamberlain has given up three earned runs or fewer in six consecutive starts, going at least six innings in four of those contests. In his most recent outing Sunday against the Rays, Chamberlain allowed three runs on five hits in six innings, failing to get a decision in his team’s 4-3 victory.
The Yanks are 5-1 in Chamberlain’s last six starts and 4-1 in his five outings at home, where the hard-throwing right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.48 ERA this year. Chamberlain’s experience against the Mets is limited to one inning of relief, and he gave up a run on two hits.
The over is 19-7-2 in the Mets’ last 28 interleague road games, but otherwise, they’re on “under” tears of 4-1 on the road, 5-1 in interleague action (all against the A.L. East), 5-2 in series openers and 43-19-7 when playing on Friday. For the Yanks, the “under” is on runs of 12-5-2 overall, 7-1 in interleague home games, 6-0 against the N.L. East, 4-0 on Friday and 4-1-1 with Chamberlain on the hill.
On the flip side, the final five Subway Series clashes at former Yankee Stadium last year went over the total, and the over is 3-1-1 in Chamberlain’s five home starts this season.
Sports Advisors 6-12-09
Reply With Quote