After an Early Day Off, Red Sox Send Jon Lester to Hill to Face A.J. Burnett
Amidst the festivities involved with the Sunday night opener, the Red Sox put together a dramatic rally from four runs down, scoring eight times between the fifth and eighth innings.
The 9-7 triumph included a monstrous game for both Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, who combined for five extra-base hits and five RBIs.
There figures to be a little less pomp and circumstance in this one, but there will be another fine pitching matchup with Jon Lester and A.J. Burnett on the mound.
WHEN AND WHERE
HEAD TO HEAD
The Sox took the season opener on Sunday to improve to 25-8 against the Yankees in the month of April since the start of the 2002 season.
New York led 5-1 and 7-5 on Sunday before its bullpen faltered.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Although he was unofficially given the No. 2 tag in the Red Sox rotation, Lester is on several preseason watch lists for the Cy Young award. He has won 31 total games the last two seasons but appears primed for his best season yet.
Lester is 3-1 with a 3.88 ERA lifetime against New York.
Befitting his up-and-down nature, Burnett had some horrid starts against the Red Sox last season before tossing a gem in his final matchup with Boston late in the season.
In 12 career starts versus the Sox, he is 5-2 with a 4.23 ERA.
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 Nick Swisher, RF Marcus Thames, LF Curtis Granderson, CF |
STAT SHEET
Red Sox
- Youkilis became the first Boston player since Carlton Fisk in 1973 to rap three extra-base hits on Opening Day.
- The Sox’ three new starters — Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro — combined to go 5-for-9 with three RBIs on Sunday.
- Jonathan Papelbon‘s third Opening Day save moved him past Jeff Russell and Tom Gordon for the most in team history.
Yankees
- Catcher Jorge Posada is one double shy of tying Hall of Famer Bill Dickey for eighth place on the team’s all-time list. Posada has 342 doubles.
- Third baseman Alex Rodriguez remains four hits shy of 1,000 for his Yankees career.
- Burnett has exactly 100 wins.
BLACK AND BLUE
- Daisuke Matsuzaka will start on Saturday in Pawtucket, the first of what is expected to be three minor league outings.
- Boof Bonser goes in the PawSox opener on Thursday. He is on the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury.
Yankees
- Posada showed no ill effects of a stiff neck that caused him to miss a couple of days.
- Despite being scratched from a scheduled outing on Friday, reliever Damaso Marte did face one batter Sunday. He issued a walk and a wild pitch.
OUTLOOK
Lester has usually had good success against the Yankees. You never quite know what you’re going to get with Burnett. If both are on their game, this figures to be a bit different than the 16-run, 24-hit affair we saw on Sunday.
Then again, you never quite know what you’re going to get with the Sox and Yanks as well.
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