New York Yankees (60-61) vs Boston Red Sox (63-58)
Game Info: Friday, August 18, 2023 at 7:05 pm (Yankee Stadium)
Jhony Brito (4-5) (4.76) vs Brayan Bello (8-7) (3.81)
Betting Odds: New York Yankees / Boston Red Sox --- Over/Under: Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: MLB.tv Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now! 
The Boston Red Sox will play the New York Yankees in Game 1 of their series on Friday night at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Yankees are under .500 and they are starting to fall apart, while Boston is making a push for a Wild Card berth.
Red Sox Preview
The Boston Red Sox are 63-58 this season and they have won five of their last eight games. Boston is coming off of a series win against the Nationals, where they lost two out of three games. The Red Sox had a disappointing result in Washington, but they have played pretty well over the last ten games. The Boston pitching staff has a 4.38 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a .255 opponent batting average this year. The Red Sox offense has scored 585 runs with a .261 batting average and a .327 on base percentage. Justin Turner is batting .285 with 19 home runs and 73 RBI’s for the Red Sox. The projected starting pitcher for Boston is Brayan Bello, who is 8-7 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP over 113.1 innings pitched this season.
Yankees Preview
The New York Yankees are 60-61 this season and they have lost five games in a row. New York is coming off of a series loss to the Braves, where they lost all three games. The Yankees were out scored by a total of 18-3 in the three games in Atlanta. The New York pitching staff has a 4.04 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a .232 opponent batting average. The Yankees offense has scored 514 runs with a .231 batting average and a .306 on base percentage this season. Gleyber Torres is batting .265 with 18 home runs and 49 RBI’s for the Yankees. The projected starting pitcher for New York is Jhony Brito, who is 4-5 with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP over 62.1 innings pitched this year.
New York Yankees Team Facts
- The home team has won each of the Yankees' last five games.
- The Yankees have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 14 Friday home games.
- The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the last four night games between the Red Sox and Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Boston Red Sox Team Facts
- The Red Sox have won each of their last nine Friday night road games.
- The Red Sox have covered the run line in each of their last nine Friday road games.
- The Red Sox have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last three road night games.
- The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Red Sox's last four night games at Yankee Stadium.
- The Red Sox have led after 7 innings in each of their last nine Friday night road games.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Yankees ranks 1st in the league for hits allowed this season (938).
- The New York Yankees ranks 29th in the league for hits this season (913).
- The Boston Red Sox are one of only 4 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both strikeouts and on-base percentage this season.
- The Boston Red Sox ranks T5th in the league for walks allowed this season (346).
Pick
The Yankees are really struggling right now and they are coming off one of their worst series of the year. Boston is also coming off of a series loss, but they still have hope in the Wild Card race. Boston is starting Brayan Bello, who has allowed 4, 1, 4, 3, and 6 earned runs in his last five starts. New York is starting Jhony Brito, who has allowed eight earned runs over his last 22 innings pitched. I cannot back this Yankees team with how poorly they are playing, so I am taking the Red Sox on the road.
David’s Pick Red Sox ML
AUTHOR: David Racey
Mitch's Take...
