Yankees face Red Sox for the last series of the first half

Friday July 15, 2022

After splitting the series last weekend, rivalry shifts back to the Bronx

After a surprisingly difficult series against the lowly Cincinnati Reds, the Yankees welcome their bitter rivals for the first time. Last weekend, the Yankees visited Fenway Park and, after winning the first two games, lost the next two to tie the series. Both teams have had tough weeks, with New York losing four of its last five and Boston being swept by Tampa Bay in four straight at the Trop.

The Yankees, particularly the pitchers, could use a break, so thankfully, this is the final series before the All-Star break. Still, if the Yankees want to put even more distance between their rivals, they must start strong.

Friday: Jordan Montgomery vs. Nathan Eovaldi (7:05pm EST)

Montgomery’s season is undervalued in these parts. In 96 innings pitched this season, the big lefty has a 3.19 ERA and 3.80 FIP. Montgomery has been outstanding, second on the team in the innings pitched and third in ERA . He’s been a big part of the Yankees’ success this season, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can be as effective against Red Sox.

Eovaldi has been on the injured list since June 8th, but he will return on Friday. After missing over a month due to hip and lower back issues, Eovaldi is back and looking for another successful year. He has a 3.16 ERA and a 25.8 percent strikeout rate in 68.1 innings pitched.

Saturday: Jameson Taillon vs. Nick Pivetta (7:15pm EST)

Jameson Taillon has recently crashed back down to earth after an incredible start to 2022. Taillon has given up 20 runs and 30 hits in 21 innings pitched over his last 4 starts. He’s given up at least 5 runs three times in his last four starts, one of which came last weekend against Boston.

Despite those poor performances, the Yankees are 2-2 in that stretch, so the overall results aren’t as bad as they could have been. Taillon has a 4.01 ERA and a 3.78 FIP this season, with a shockingly low 3.1-percent walk rate in 94.1 innings. If the Yankees want to do better against Boston this time, they’ll need Taillon to rediscover his early-season form.

Sunday: Gerrit Cole vs. Chris Sale (1:35pm EST)

The matchup we’ve all been waiting for. Gerrit Cole has put up another strong season, ranking first among New York starters in innings pitched (106.1), strikeout percentage (31.9 percent), and FIP (3.40). Rafael Devers, on the other hand, has been a real thorn in Cole’s side.

Cole managed to get six innings last weekend, but he gave up 5 runs, came on home runs by Devers. That performance ended Cole’s four-game winning streak in which he never allowed more than two runs in a game. Cole has struggled against the Red Sox in his career (4.30 ERA in 69 innings), but the Yankees will need him to be at his best.

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