The Yankees and Red Sox play the second game in a pivotal four-game series after the Red Sox put up 15 runs in the first game to take a 6 1/2-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. The Yankees scored seven runs in the series opener, but it wasn't enough to match the furious pace of the Red Sox. They'll run it back on Friday as the Yankees try, once again, to close the AL East gap over the weekend.
To do so, they'll need Luis Severino to pull himself up out of the nosedive he's been in lately. Severino has lost his last two starts and posted an ERA over 11. The Red Sox are not the team you want to face while you're slumping. Mookie Betts went 4 of 4 at the plate in the series opener, while J.D. Martinez was 3 of 5. The order is stacked top to bottom, so Severino needs to come back with his pre-All-Star break stuff if the Yankees are going to win.
The Red Sox have Rick Porcello on the mound, who has a solid record at 13-4, but a slightly elevated ERA over four. The Sox will need him to pitch well. The Yankees' pitching let them down in the series opener, not the bats, so teams should assume that they'll come out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton hit his 25th homer against the Sox on Thursday, and the Yankees will undoubtedly hope for more of the same today.
How to watch Yankees vs. Red Sox
- Date: Friday, Aug. 2
- Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
- Location: Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
- Starting pitchers: Yankees' Luis Severino (14-4, 2.94 ERA) vs. Red Sox' Rick Porcello (13-4, 4.03 ERA)
- TV channel: YES Network and NESN
- Streaming: Fans in local markets can stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Picks: Check SportsLine's MLB pick sheet for all your daily odds.
