We could all hear the snickering earlier in the 2011 MLB season when the Boston Red Sox were losing. The American League’s pre-season favorites lost six games in a row and ended up losing nine of their first 12 before turning things around. Now the Red Sox have caught up with and passed most of the pack in the AL East and will do battle with their hated rivals, the New York Yankees, for division supremacy when they play a three-game series at new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx beginning with the tonight’s opener (7:10 pm ET).
The Yankees look to hold off the Red Sox by sending veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia to the mound to start. In his first season as a Yankee, Garcia is 4-4 on the season with a 3.34 ERA. Countering for Boston is ace left-hander Jon Lester. The Boston starter is 7-2 this season with a 3.94 ERA.
With Garcia and Lester as today's scheduled starting pitchers, oddsmakers installed Boston as a -130 MLB Odds favorite with a 9 1/2-run (over/under) total. Yankees backers will be getting +110 odds as home underdogs.
There could be some fireworks in this series, or from a Yankees perspective, a little payback. Once the Red Sox had righted its ship, they went into Yankee Stadium the first time around and left May 15 with a three-game sweep. Today, the Yankees return home with their MVP and hero, Derek Jeter, on the cusp of getting his 3000th hit and a little revenge in mind. Meanwhile, the Red Sox can send one heck of a statement if they can repeat the act.
Oddsmakers list the Yankees as -135 MLB Odds favorites to win the series (2-of-3 games). As underdogs, Red Sox backers are getting +105 odds to get the best of the Yankees in three.
