CC Sabathia will start for the defending champion Yankees on opening day.
On Sunday, for the first time since the 2001 regular season, the New York Yankees will take the field at Fenway Park as the defending World Series champions. As the longtime rivals kick off the 2010 major league season and play the first of 18 regular-season games against each other, let’s review their memorable season series in 2009.
The streaks
Boston won the first eight games between the teams in 2009, with seven different pitchers accounting for those eight wins. However, the tide turned in early August, when New York swept a four-game series at Yankee Stadium, shutting out the Red Sox twice and outscoring them 25-8. The Yankees won nine of the final 10 games in the season series, with nine different Red Sox pitchers accounting for those nine losses. In the end, the teams split their 18 games.
The heroes and goats
Red Sox DH David Ortiz homered four times and drove in 16 runs against the Yankees last season, and third baseman Mike Lowell chipped in four homers and 15 RBIs. Catcher Jason Varitek hit just .094, though two of his five hits were homers. In five starts against New York, ace Josh Beckett posted a 5.34 ERA, twice allowing eight earned runs.
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit .300 with four homers and 13 RBIs against the Red Sox. First baseman Mark Teixeira had six long balls and 13 RBIs. However, in 62 at-bats against Boston, right fielder Nick Swisher had 21 strikeouts. In his first season in pinstripes, ace CC Sabathia was sharp, going 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts against Boston. A.J. Burnett, however, wasn’t as dominant. He served up six homers and 16 walks in four starts (20 1/3 innings) against the Red Sox, posting an 8.85 ERA.
Chris Bahr is a senior editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.
CC Sabathia will start for the defending champion Yankees on opening day.
On Sunday, for the first time since the 2001 regular season, the New York Yankees will take the field at Fenway Park as the defending World Series champions. As the longtime rivals kick off the 2010 major league season and play the first of 18 regular-season games against each other, let’s review their memorable season series in 2009.
The streaks
Boston won the first eight games between the teams in 2009, with seven different pitchers accounting for those eight wins. However, the tide turned in early August, when New York swept a four-game series at Yankee Stadium, shutting out the Red Sox twice and outscoring them 25-8. The Yankees won nine of the final 10 games in the season series, with nine different Red Sox pitchers accounting for those nine losses. In the end, the teams split their 18 games.
The heroes and goats
Red Sox DH David Ortiz homered four times and drove in 16 runs against the Yankees last season, and third baseman Mike Lowell chipped in four homers and 15 RBIs. Catcher Jason Varitek hit just .094, though two of his five hits were homers. In five starts against New York, ace Josh Beckett posted a 5.34 ERA, twice allowing eight earned runs.
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit .300 with four homers and 13 RBIs against the Red Sox. First baseman Mark Teixeira had six long balls and 13 RBIs. However, in 62 at-bats against Boston, right fielder Nick Swisher had 21 strikeouts. In his first season in pinstripes, ace CC Sabathia was sharp, going 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts against Boston. A.J. Burnett, however, wasn’t as dominant. He served up six homers and 16 walks in four starts (20 1/3 innings) against the Red Sox, posting an 8.85 ERA.
Chris Bahr is a senior editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.
