Lackey is following up a pair of starts by Josh Beckett and Jon Lester which were less than ideal. Because of the rough outings, Boston has had to use a total of 11 pitchers in the first two games of the series.
If Lackey can maintain any of the momentum he built up during spring training, the bullpen will be a little less busy.
Andy Pettitte is on the mound for New York.
WHEN AND WHERE
HEAD TO HEAD
The teams have split a pair of two-run games. After rallying to take the opener Sunday night by a 9-7 score, Boston fell 6-4 on Tuesday.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LHP Andy Pettitte (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP John Lackey (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Lackey will be making his Red Sox debut against a team he is quite familiar with. In his eight years with the Angels, Lackey made 16 regular-season starts against New York and another five in the postseason.
He was signed to a five-year deal with Boston this offseason and got off to a great start in spring training, going 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA.
Pettitte owns 18 career wins against the Sox, four more than any other active pitcher. He is 7-3 with a 3.90 ERA at Fenway Park.
LINEUPS
| Red Sox | Yankees |
|---|---|
| Jacoby Ellsbury, LF Dustin Pedroia, 2B Victor Martinez, C Kevin Youkilis, 1B David Ortiz, DH Adrian Beltre, 3B J.D. Drew, RF Mike Cameron, CF Marco Scutaro, SS |
Derek Jeter, SS Nick Johnson, DH Mark Teixeira, 1B Alex Rodriguez, 3B Robinson Cano, 2B Jorge Posada, C Curtis Granderson, CF Nick Swisher, RF Brett Gardner, LF |
STAT SHEET
Red Sox
- Hideki Okajima is the first Boston pitcher to get a decision in the first two games of the season since Bill Campbell went 0-2 to start the 1977 season.
- Jon Lester is 2-4 with a 4.94 ERA over 13 career starts in March and April.
- The attendance at Fenway Park on Tuesday night was exactly 38,000.
Yankees
- A.J. Burnett is 0-2 with an 11.72 ERA in four starts at Fenway as a member of the Yankees. He is 13-7 with a 3.38 mark in 30 other starts.
- Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are the first trio of teammates in MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL history to play together in 16 straight seasons. Jim Gantner, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor played 15 consecutive years with Milwaukee from 1978-1992.
- Second baseman Robinson Cano has hit .400 (22-for-55) in a 13-game hitting streak against the Sox.
BLACK AND BLUE
- Daisuke Matsuzaka will start Saturday in Pawtucket, the first of what is expected to be three minor league outings.
- Boof Bonser goes in the PawSox opener Thursday. He is on the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury.
- Jed Lowrie remains on the disabled list with mono. The team has not given any updates on his condition.
Yankees
- No injuries reported.
OUTLOOK
After two rough starts for the top two pitchers in the Red Sox’ rotation, Lackey will be focused on reversing that trend. He was dominant in the spring and drew rave reviews from teammates and coaches for how quickly and efficiently he worked.
After two games averaging three hours, 47 minutes, an efficient night would be welcome.
Boston is off Thursday to travel to Kansas City so much of the bullpen will be available.
