Red Sox-Yankees series preview

If the Yankees win two out of three against the Red Sox this weekend, they clinch a playoff berth. I hope that means no games will be thrown away, unlike two nights ago.

No, this series won’t have the same rivalry intensity as there has been in the past. But the Red Sox know what’s at stake, and I think Terry Francona’s managing strategy will reflect that. (Watch out for a Clay Buchholz out of the bullpen.)

Head to Head:
The Yankees are 7-5 against the Red Sox this season, and these two teams meet again next weekend in the last series of the year. That should be entertaining.

Pitching Matchups:

Date:	Red Sox starters	Yankees starters
Fri., 7:05 p.m.	Josh Beckett (5-5, 5.71)	Andy Pettitte (11-2, 2.81)
Sat., 4:10 p.m.	Jon Lester (18-8, 3.06)	Ivan Nova (1-0, 4.11)
Sun., 8:05 p.m.	D. Matsuzaka (9-6, 4.86)	Dustin Moseley (4-3, 4.94)

Roster Notes: Phil Hughes’ start Sunday got pushed back to Wednesday because of his innings limit. Check out tonight’s game preview here.

Prediction: This is a really big series, and unfortunately the Yankees don’t have their rotation lined up. Luckily, they won’t have to deal with Buchholz (as a starter, at least). I think the Yankees will win tonight and tomorrow, but lose Sunday.