MLB Game Preview - NY Yankees at Boston

Sun Jul 28, 2019 7:08 PM EDT

On Saturday morning, the New York tabloids blared headlines on their back pages reflecting the urgency for the New York Yankees to improve their starting pitching ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline.

New York's pitching problems did not improve much on the field later Saturday and now the Boston Red Sox have a shot at a four-game sweep over the Yankees at Fenway Park on Sunday night.

The Yankees still hold a fairly comfortable eight-game lead over the Red Sox but for the second straight season are facing the prospect of a four-game sweep in Boston. Last year, the Red Sox completed a sweep on Aug. 2-5 to essentially seal the American League East.

New York's starters own a collective 4.77 ERA this season and no starter has completed five innings since Masahiro Tanaka went six innings July 20 in an 11-5 win over Colorado. Since then, the Yankees are 2-5 and their starting pitchers own a combined ERA of 16.62 (48 earned runs, 26 innings).

"Obviously it's been a tough weekend for us so far," New York manager Aaron Boone told reporters. "As I said all the time, it's inevitable you're going to get punched in the mouth in a major league season and we'll be up to the challenge. Our guys are too good in that room. We all know what we are capable of and we'll get it going here hopefully starting tomorrow."

After taking two of three in Minnesota to start the week despite the ugly starting pitching, things have gone even worse this weekend for the Yankees, who won 23 of their previous 29 games before going 2-5 over their last seven. Masahiro Tanaka allowed 12 runs in 3 1/3 innings Thursday, James Paxton allowed three homers to Mookie Betts in four innings Friday and CC Sabathia lasted 4 1/3 innings in Saturday's 9-5 loss.

Boston's ability to produce 52 hits in the series is part of an overall surge that has the Red Sox ascending from mediocrity into the thick of the wild-card race. The Red Sox are 10-6 since the All-Star break, 15-7 in July and 25-13 in their last 38 games.

"It feels like not only the line is moving, we're scoring runs when we have a chance," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "That's the key of the whole thing -- just put quality at-bats."

J.D. Martinez hit a go-ahead two-run homer Saturday and is batting .444 (12-for-27) in his last six games. Rafael Devers had three hits Saturday and is batting .405 (15-for-37) in his last eight games.

Boston has scored at least eight runs in six straight games against the Yankees and plated 59 runs in the last five meetings.

While Boston's offense is hot, so is lefty Chris Sale (5-9, 4.00 ERA), who will attempt to win a season-high third straight start on Sunday. Sale has allowed two runs on six hits covering 12 innings while getting 22 strikeouts in his last two starts.

Sale has 12 games with at least 10 strikeouts and recorded double-digit strikeout totals in wins over Toronto and Tampa Bay in the last 11 days. He has double-digit strikeouts in 11 of his last 15 starts and has registered 14.41 strikeouts per nine innings in that span.

Sale is 6-6 with a 2.10 ERA in 19 career appearances (16 starts) against New York.

Domingo German (12-2, 4.03) hopes to rebound from his worst starts of the season. He last pitched Tuesday and took a no-decision after allowing eight runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings in New York's wild 14-12 win.

German also had a short outing against Boston on June 1, when he allowed three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He has a 4.50 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against the Red Sox.

--Field Level Media