Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2011 15:08:39 GMT -5
[shadow=red,left,300]New York Yankees (69-55) @ Boston Red Sox (71-52)[/shadow]
NYA: Shaeffer Hall (7-4, 3.56 ERA)
BOS: James McDonald (7-6, 4.22 ERA)
With just six weeks left in the season, games take on added significance as every false step could drop a team out of the playoff picture, while every win brings a team closer and closer to the ultimate prize.
The Red Sox and Yankees begin their final stretch of the season separated by only 2.5 games. Each has an outside shot at winning the wild card, but the best chance for each team to make the postseason is to win the Wild Card. As the only two serious wild card candidates, their series will go a long way to determine which of the teams will play in the postseason. A Yankees sweep puts them ahead in the Wild Card race, while a Red Sox sweep all but cripples the Yankees as the PBL enters September.
The Red Sox have built their wild card lead by enjoying a sizable advantage over the Yankees in head to head play. Boston has owned the Yankees 7-2 this season, allowing under three runs a game in the seven contests.
James McDonald gets introduced to the lineup tonight. Acquired from Milwaukee for a pair of prospects, McDonald has been okay for the Red Sox, but he hasn't faced a lineup the quality of New York's. He has good stuff, but he can be erratic at times which hurts him against the better teams.
With Mark Teixera waking up from a season-long slump, and Brock Kjeldgaard hitting the way he is, the Yankees qualify as a better team. Kjeldgaard is hitting .315 in August, while Teixera is hitting .329. Ben Zobrist has returned from a long injury, so the middle of the Yankees order should be the best it's been all season.
Now they'll need to translate that into success against Boston. Teixera is hitting 1-22 against Boston, Kjeldgaard is hitting .188, Zobrist .190, Brett Gardner is 1-17, and Alex Rodriguez .120. Boston's staff has thoroughly spanked the Yankees' best hitters, the main reason why the Yanks have been so inept against Boston.
The Yankees will throw out Shaeffer Hall, a good-looking young lefty---however, in his one game against the Red Sox, he gave up five runs in two innings.
Will the Red Sox mastery of the Yankees continue or will the Yankee bats continue their hot streak against Boston. Find out on this ultra-critical Game of the Week!
Questions for the GM's. For Sean Kemplar. Your team hasn't hit Boston at all. Is that a matter of Boston's quality or your hitters' nerves? What do your hitters need to do to break out of their slump?
Hall has one appearance against Boston and got bombed, and he had one appearance on the Game of the Week and got bombed by Colorado. In such an important game, do you have him on a short leash, especially with a good bullpen?
Brock Kjeldgaard has silenced his critics and is hitting well again. What do you want to see from him down the stretch?
For Derek Bobola, James McDonald gets thrown into the fire tonight. What do you expect to see from him tonight?
Hanley Ramirez is hitting .519 out of the leadoff spot. Why did you decide to have him at the top of the lineup?
Wladimir Balentien has cooled off over the second half of the season but you have him batting cleanup. Why him over somebody else?
NYA: Shaeffer Hall (7-4, 3.56 ERA)
BOS: James McDonald (7-6, 4.22 ERA)
With just six weeks left in the season, games take on added significance as every false step could drop a team out of the playoff picture, while every win brings a team closer and closer to the ultimate prize.
The Red Sox and Yankees begin their final stretch of the season separated by only 2.5 games. Each has an outside shot at winning the wild card, but the best chance for each team to make the postseason is to win the Wild Card. As the only two serious wild card candidates, their series will go a long way to determine which of the teams will play in the postseason. A Yankees sweep puts them ahead in the Wild Card race, while a Red Sox sweep all but cripples the Yankees as the PBL enters September.
The Red Sox have built their wild card lead by enjoying a sizable advantage over the Yankees in head to head play. Boston has owned the Yankees 7-2 this season, allowing under three runs a game in the seven contests.
James McDonald gets introduced to the lineup tonight. Acquired from Milwaukee for a pair of prospects, McDonald has been okay for the Red Sox, but he hasn't faced a lineup the quality of New York's. He has good stuff, but he can be erratic at times which hurts him against the better teams.
With Mark Teixera waking up from a season-long slump, and Brock Kjeldgaard hitting the way he is, the Yankees qualify as a better team. Kjeldgaard is hitting .315 in August, while Teixera is hitting .329. Ben Zobrist has returned from a long injury, so the middle of the Yankees order should be the best it's been all season.
Now they'll need to translate that into success against Boston. Teixera is hitting 1-22 against Boston, Kjeldgaard is hitting .188, Zobrist .190, Brett Gardner is 1-17, and Alex Rodriguez .120. Boston's staff has thoroughly spanked the Yankees' best hitters, the main reason why the Yanks have been so inept against Boston.
The Yankees will throw out Shaeffer Hall, a good-looking young lefty---however, in his one game against the Red Sox, he gave up five runs in two innings.
Will the Red Sox mastery of the Yankees continue or will the Yankee bats continue their hot streak against Boston. Find out on this ultra-critical Game of the Week!
Questions for the GM's. For Sean Kemplar. Your team hasn't hit Boston at all. Is that a matter of Boston's quality or your hitters' nerves? What do your hitters need to do to break out of their slump?
Hall has one appearance against Boston and got bombed, and he had one appearance on the Game of the Week and got bombed by Colorado. In such an important game, do you have him on a short leash, especially with a good bullpen?
Brock Kjeldgaard has silenced his critics and is hitting well again. What do you want to see from him down the stretch?
For Derek Bobola, James McDonald gets thrown into the fire tonight. What do you expect to see from him tonight?
Hanley Ramirez is hitting .519 out of the leadoff spot. Why did you decide to have him at the top of the lineup?
Wladimir Balentien has cooled off over the second half of the season but you have him batting cleanup. Why him over somebody else?