MLB Baseball
2012-04-20 - New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
United States: Major League Baseball
Friday 20 April 2012 - First Pitch 3:05pm ET
8:05pm (British Standard Time)
Preview
One of the oldest rivalries in professional sports kicks off their first series in the 2012 season as baseball gets ready to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox (4-8) will look to ride the emotion of the day when a number of legends will be in the stadium and also to close the early gap to the New York Yankees (7-6).
It is exactly 100 years since the teams first met here at Fenway Park when the Red Sox managed to win 7-6 in extra innings, and lots of history between then and now will retraced throughout the day.
Boston's bats have become a little quiet in the last few games as they have totalled just 6 runs in the last 3 games here at Fenway after beginning their home season with 31 runs from 3 games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Red Sox will have a chance to get going again as they face Ivan Nova who has a 2-0 record and a 4.15 ERA this season. Nova gave up 4 runs in 6 innings against the LA Angels, but he was given plenty of run support from the powerful Yankees batting line up and may need the same again if he is to avoid the loss.
Nova has a 0-1 record from 2 starts at Fenway Park with a 6.75 ERA.
The Yankees come into the game having split a 4 game series with the Minnesota Twins in the Bronx, but they have continued their hot start from the plate and they have scored at least 5 runs in 10 of their 13 games to start this season.
New York will feel they can continue that kind of start against the Boston starter Clay Buchholz- Buchholz has a 1-0 record to start the season with a 9.82 ERA.
The pitcher has a 2-3 record against the Yankees from 7 career starts with a 5.59 ERA, but he has had it even tougher at Fenway Park. Buchholz has a 0-2 record here against the Yankees from 3 career starts against them and a 6.14 ERA.
Head to Head
Boston and New York split the 8 meetings at Fenway Park last season, but the Red Sox do have a 14-6 record in the last 20 games between the teams overall.
However, Boston are just 2-5 in their last 7 against the Yankees with Clay Buchholz on the mound.
Prediction
There is going to be a lot of emotion in the stadium on Friday afternoon with the celebrations of Fenway Park in full effect, while a number of Boston Red Sox legends will also be present for the festivities.
That could lead to more pressure on the home team to put on a show and it that could make it a tough day in the office for them against the Yankees batting line up that continues to pile up the runs in the early part of the season.
The pitching edge is just about in favour of New York too and I think they should be heavier favourites to win this game than they are, so I will take the road team to deflate the party just a little in the opening game of the series.
The Pick :
Boston Red Sox 5-8 New York Yankees
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back the New York Yankees @ 1.92
