(SportsNetwork.com) – CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees are set to face
Justin Masterson and the rival Boston Red Sox Friday night at Fenway Park in
the opener of a three-game series.
Both starters enter the game with ERAs north of 5.00. Sabathia is 0-4 with a
5.96 ERA and has not recorded a win in more than a calendar year (April 24,
2014). The left-hander has gone six straight starts without a victory, the
longest drought of his career.
Most recently, Sabathia was shelled at home by the New York Mets last week, as
he allowed seven runs on nine hits in five innings.
Meanwhile, Masterson brings a 2-0 record into Friday’s opener but also a 5.16
ERA. However, seven of his 13 earned runs allowed this season came in his
second start against Washington.
The right-hander went seven innings at Camden Yards his last time out and held
the potent Baltimore Orioles offense to three runs on seven hits. He has 20
strikeouts and nine walks across 22 2/3 innings so far this season.
The Red Sox began their nine-game homestand by taking two of three from the
Toronto Blue Jays this week before getting the day off Thursday.
In Wednesday’s series finale, Boston claimed a 4-1 victory behind a rock-solid
start from Rick Porcello, who went seven innings and allowed just one run on
two hits to go with six strikeouts.
“He was a controlling both sides of the plate,” said Red Sox catcher Ryan
Hanigan. “That’s what we talked about before the game, and it worked out.”
Cleanup hitter Hanley Ramirez tied the Red Sox club record with his 10th home
run in the month of April.
New York is looking to rebound from a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay Wednesday night in
13 innings. Prior to that outcome, the Yankees had won three straight and
seven of eight games.
Michael Pineda got the start on Wednesday and twirled 5 2/3 innings of two-run
ball as he struck out five and walked nobody.
“I thought he threw the ball pretty well,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of
Pineda. “They made him work after the first inning pretty hard and his pitch
count got up, but he gave up the two runs and he gave us a great opportunity
to win.”
Five Yankees relievers then came on and managed to keep Tampa Bay off the
scoreboard until the 13th, when Chasen Shreve gave up the go-ahead single to
James Loney.
The Red Sox won two of three at Yankee Stadium when these teams met in the
season’s first month.
