Alex Rodriguez, Yankees Set to Make First Stop at Fenway Park Since Biogenesis Scandal

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez continues to play through his 211-game suspension while on appeal, and he will undoubtedly get a “warm” welcome from Red Sox Nation when the Yankees visit Fenway Park for three games starting Friday night. Bovada oddsmakers will set the Sox around -155 series betting favorites.

The Yankees have started to play better of late, but that was after returning to Yankee Stadium. They enter this series having lost four straight and five of six on the road, and that was against the Padres and White Sox.

Bovada also has two props on the Rodriguez situation. Will he play in the 2015 regular season? No is the -160 favorite with yes at +120. He will be 40 on July 27 of that season. Will his suspension be reduced on appeal? Yes is -200 and no is +150. Recent baseball history does show that it’s likely Rodriguez’s suspension will be lowered because he’s technically only a first-time offender in baseball’s PED drug policy. Major League Baseball is saying that A-Rod committed multiple offenses by lying to MLB and trying to obstruct its investigation.

A-Rod has faced Boston more than any other team in his career and has hit .283 with 52 homers and 145 RBIs in 870 at-bats against the Red Sox. Boston is expected to start Felix Doubront in the opener. Rodriguez is 2-for-6 in his career off the lefty with no RBIs. The Yanks will counter with Andy Pettitte on Friday, which will have Live Betting.

Pettitte (7-9, 4.62) hasn’t won a start since July 11. He pitched in Boston on July 19 and allowed four runs over 6 1/3 innings. Pettitte is 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA this year against the Sox. Jonny Gomes is hitting .357 with two homers and nine RBIs in his career off Pettitte. David Ortiz is batting .373 with a homer and 11 RBIs in 59 at-bats.

Saturday’s game also will have Live Betting. New York is scheduled to start Hiroki Kuroda (11-7, 2.33). He beat Boston on July 20 at Fenway, allowing two runs and five hits over seven innings. Dustin Pedroia is hitting .381 with a homer off Kuroda. Ortiz is 6-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs. A-Rod has struggled against Boston’s scheduled starter, John Lackey. Rodriguez is 11-for-58 (.190) with 25 strikeouts against him. He does have five home runs and eight RBIs, though, so it’s feast or famine.

Sunday night’s national TV game also has Live Betting. New York is scheduled to start big lefty CC Sabathia (10-10, 4.66). The Yankees had lost his previous six starts before Sabathia threw six innings of two-run ball Tuesday against the Angels. He was shelled July 21 at Fenway, allowing seven runs and nine hits in five innings in a game the Sox won 8-7. Mike Napoli and Gomes both homered off Sabathia, and Napoli homered again in the 11th for the walk-off victory. Both have otherwise mostly struggled in their careers against Sabathia, with Gomes hitting .219 and Napoli .222. Pedroia hits .304 off him.

Boston leads the season series 6-3 and has won four of the past five meetings.