• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Red Sox, Yanks renew hostilities in the Bronx

May 13, 2011 - 2:44 PM (Sports Network) - The last time the Red Sox faced the Yankees, they put an end to their worst start in 66 years. Another series win over New York could get Boston even further back on track.

The two American League East residents shift their rivalry to the Bronx this evening for the start of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Boston began the season with six straight losses for its worst start since beginning the 1945 campaign with eight defeats in a row. However, that six- game skid came to an end with a win over the Yankees on April 8 in the opener of a three-game series and Josh Beckett outdueled CC Sabathia two days later to give the Red Sox a series win and their seventh victory in the past 10 meetings.

The Red Sox, though, were unable to use that series winning as a jumping off point as they have yet to reach the .500 mark this season, though they have gotten to within a game of the even mark three times. A sweep of their heated rival would put the 17-20 Sox at the mark, but a series against the Yankees offers no extra motivation according to Boston's Dustin Pedroia.

"Right now, it doesn't matter who we play," Pedroia told his team's website. "We're trying to find our way out of this. We want to be a lot better than what we've showed, that's obvious. Everyone cares. We'll figure it out."

The Red Sox finished up a stretch of 16 games in 16 days by getting swept in a two-game series by Toronto. After an extra-inning defeat on Tuesday, John Lackey was hammered for nine runs over 6 2/3 innings of a 9-3 loss the following day.

Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz both homered for the Red Sox, who were coming off three straight wins over the Twins. Gonzalez was able to continue his recent tear in defeat, hitting his sixth homer in nine games. He is also 10- for-20 over his last four contests overall.

Though outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury had his 19-game hitting streak end, Carl Crawford was able to extend his to 11 straight after notching a pair of hits that have upped his season average to .218.

The Yankees also don't enter this series with much momentum after losing two straight to the Kansas City Royals to give them setbacks in six of their last nine games. Thursday's 11-5 loss now has them a game back of Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East, with Boston sitting five back.

Despite getting hit in the helmet by a pitch in Wednesday's loss, Robinson Cano played on Thursday and homered. Alex Rodriguez also went deep in the setback, while starter Ivan Nova was undone by a poorly defensed second inning that led to six Royals runs. Nova lasted just three-plus frames, yielding eight runs -- four earned -- to take the loss.

"We just gave them too many outs. And you can't beat teams when you give them extra outs," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

New York will hope to draw first blood in this series behind Bartolo Colon, who makes his fifth start of the season.

Colon went 2-0 with a 2.49 earned run average through his first three starts before allowing a season-high five runs and nine hits over just 4 1/3 innings of a no-decision in Texas on Saturday. New York lost that game, 7-5.

The 37-year-old righty began the season in the bullpen and is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in seven total appearances. That loss came in relief against Boston on April 8 as he was charged with two runs over 4 1/3 innings, though just one was earned.

Colon is 8-10 with a 4.13 ERA lifetime versus the Red Sox, who counter with right-hander Clay Buchholz.

Buchholz seeks a third straight victory this evening and has won three of his last four starts overall, pitching to a 2.66 ERA in that span. He bested the Twins on Saturday, gutting through a two-hour, seven-minute rain delay to pitch five scoreless innings of two-hit ball while striking out a season-high six.

"I was able to mix it up a little bit," Buchholz said after improving to 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA in seven starts this season. "Everything felt good today."

The 26-year-old will try for a similar approach to the Yankees, who beat him on April 9. Buchholz was charged with five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits over just 3 2/3 innings, with the big blow coming in the form of a three- run homer by Yankees catcher Russell Martin.

Buchholz, who is 1-3 with a 6.25 ERA in six career starts versus New York has also struggled when facing Cano, who is 9-for-17 (.529) in his career against the Red Sox hurler.