Yanks, Sox ready for wild weekend

MLB.com ^ | Mark Feinsand

[StatesEnemy]

Yankees (81-51) at Red Sox (76-56), 7:05 p.m. ET

The stretch run officially begins Friday for the Yankees, when they play the first of three weekend games against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

New York enters the weekend with a 4 1/2-game lead over Boston in the American League East, having defeated the Chicago White Sox, 7-5, on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep. The Yankees have won 10 of their last 14 games, though they are just 3-4 in their last seven. The Red Sox enter the series winners of six out of seven.

"This is the best rivalry there is. It makes it that much better when we're playing for first place," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "No matter what the difference is in the standings, I'm never comfortable. You can't allow yourself that luxury. I'm comfortable when we play well."

The Yankees have taken seven of the 13 meetings between the two rivals this season, and the two teams will play six more times in the next 10 days.

The last four meetings between the two have been decided by a total of five runs, with the team winning two each. With New York and Boston appearing to be evenly matched with each other, Torre believes that nothing will be decided in the next 10 days.

"I don't think it will come down to how we play each other, because we've played each other pretty close. It will be how we take care of the rest of the teams," Torre said. "I don't think the next 10 days are going to decide it unless we win 10 in a row."

Jose Contreras makes his second start since rejoining the Yankees, looking for his fourth win in four big-league starts. Contreras allowed five runs in two innings of relief in his only outing this season against the Red Sox. Taking the mound for Boston is Derek Lowe, who is 1-0 against New York in three starts this season.

Saturday, Andy Pettitte will match up against Pedro Martinez, while Roger Clemens will face the Sox at Fenway Park in a regular-season game for the final time in his career, taking on Tim Wakefield.

"I'm never comfortable going to Boston, in that ballpark, playing that team," Torre said. "They're very good, they can explode at any time, so we'll have to rely on our pitching. We have Jose, Andy and Roger, so we have three of our best ones going and hopefully we'll make things happen."

[StatesEnemy]

Are my Bosox gonna choke.... again?

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

go tigers

[HitmanLV]

Do you have to ask? ;-) Yankees forever!

[Jhensy]

I'll be flicking between this and college football all weekend....they've even scheduled college games for Sunday, those evil, insidious bastids. When did that start?

[Charles Henrickson]

Yanks, Sox ready for wild weekend

They just got done playing the Sox! Are they gonna play 'em again?

Oh, you mean the other Sox, those guys from Boston.

[ErnBatavia]

Are my Bosox gonna choke.... again?

[RightWhale]

I would enjoy seeing the RedSox pound the Yankees 11-2 all weekend. But I have a Buddhist detachment toward this-- balanced [or no] expectations seem best in the long run.

[BobFromNJ]

Hi from a fellow Red Sox fanatic!! In fact I am going up to Boston for Sunday's game against the Rocket- Hope we take two anyhow!!The hell with the curse!!

[Gil4]

Ah, another meeting in the "hammer and nail" rivalry, as Tony Kornheiser called it.

It went something like this (when discussing the best rivalries in sports):

You Red Sox fans think you have a rivalry with the Yankees; you don't. It's like a hammer and a nail rivalry. What kind of rivalry does a hammer have with a nail? None! The hammer always wins.

For it to be a rivalry, there have to be memorable victories on both sides. You've got to be able to say, "Remember back then when...." No! I don't remember. That's because it never happened.

It was about the funniest moment in sports talk radio I have ever heard, even though I HATE the Yankees. I'm going to go look for an audio clip of that now - if anyone else finds it first, please post it.

[Alberta's Child]

August/September of 2003 is the 25th anniversary of the infamous "Boston Massacre," if memory serves me right. A four-game sweep in Fenway by the Yankees, en route to their marvelous comeback in the AL East that year.

[bikewench]

Are my Bosox gonna choke.... again?



Naaah... not this time. ; )

Good luck P.

[haywoodwebb]

Aww, the poor guy . . .

He had a great career but alas all we'll ever remember is Game 6 . . . .

Well especially me . .. I was a rabid Mets fan back then . . .

That was years before my move to Tampa Bay . . .

I guess we all know where I stand now . . . (basement) LOL!!!

[StatesEnemy]

Bike Wench.. Hmmm I like it, D.

[StatesEnemy]

So it's Lowe vs Contreras - ohh, and Manny is out sick.

Guess he caught Pedro's pharyngitis

[Mears]

Go Sox!!!!! Hope springs eternal

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[StatesEnemy]

End of the first:

Boston 3
NY    2

[Nachum]

Yes, the White Sox will have a wild weekend.

[b4its2late]

I guess they did.