ALDS Game 1: Yankees vs Red Sox Preview and Pick

ALDS Game 1 Showcases Baseball's Fiercest Rivalry

New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox renew hostilities in ALDS Game 1. The game will be played at Fenway Park. This is the oldest, and fiercest rivalry, in Major League Baseball. This should be a heavyweight battle from first pitch to last.

TV: 7:32 p.m. ET, TBS  

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH J.A. Happ (17-6, 3.65 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (12-4, 2.11)

ODDS:  The Red Sox as -170-moneyline favorites. The game's total opened at is at 7.5 Under -115.

The Boston Red Sox set a franchise record for wins during the regular season. They ran away with the American League East. The New York Yankees will not be intimidated.

The Red Sox will start LHP David Price in Game 2 and RHP Rick Porcello in Game 3 while the Yankees counter with RHP Masahiro Tanaka in Game 2 and have yet to announce a Game 3 starter.

Boston lost in the Division Series in each of its last two trips to the postseason and is 1-6 in seven playoff games since winning the 2013 World Series.

Yankees Look for Happ to Keep up Solid Performances in ALDS Game 1

New York won 100 games during the regular season but still needed to survive the one-game wild card playoff on Wednesday. They beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2 to earn a trip to Fenway Park.

Happ went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays. He closed strong with a 1.86 ERA in five September outings. Happ went 1-1 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts against Boston this season.

He was not as effective at Fenway Park. Happ surrendered nine runs - four earned - and nine hits over 9 2/3 total innings. Happ last pitched in the postseason with the Blue Jays in 2016. He is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 career playoff games - three starts.

New York set a major league record for home runs during the regular season (267) and added two more in Wednesday's wild card win.

Red Sox Hope Sale is Recovered Fully for ALDS

Boston (108-54) will start ace Chris Sale opposite New York lefty J.A. Happ in Game 1. The Red Sox led the majors in runs scored (876) and batting average (.268). MVP candidates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez led the way.

Sale spent September trying to build up his pitch count and strengthen his shoulder. This was the result of two trips to the disabled list. He struggled in his last two outings. The Lefty allowed a total of five runs and nine hits across eight innings.

Sale made his postseason debut in 2017 and struggled in two appearances against Houston in the ALDS. He made one start, and went 0-2 while surrendering nine runs and 13 hits over 9 2/3 total innings. He gave up for dingers.

Sale had little trouble against the Yankees in 2018. He struck out 19 while yielding one run in 13 innings over two starts.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Yankees 2

ALDS Game 1 Betting Odds and Trends

New York Yankees
Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games
NY Yankees is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
NY Yankees is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Boston
NY Yankees is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Boston

Boston Red Sox
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games at home
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games at home
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

 

Next up:
New York at Boston Saturday, October 6

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