Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox 9/2

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are ready to finish off their three game set this afternoon in Fenway Park with New York desperately needing another victory in the series. With the Toronto Blue Jays playing as well as anybody right now and team’s like the Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays not going away any time soon every game is almost like a must win for all teams involved in the division races and the playoff chase. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound this afternoon looking for that victory while the Red Sox will counter with Henry Owens. The game will be played at 4:35 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

• Tanaka showed obvious signs of rust in the first few innings last time out against the Atlanta Braves but seemingly righted the ship to a victory when all was said and done. Tanaka allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings of work setting the tone for the Yankees sweep. Tanaka is 2-2 against the Red Sox this season beating them on April 12th and August 4^th already.

• Owens has helped solidify the Red Sox rotation a bit as of late as the left-hander has only given up two earned runs in his last 13 innings of work. Owens made his Major League debut against the Yankees on August 4^th limiting the Bronx Bombers to just three runs on five innings in an eventual loss to Masahiro Tanaka.

Tanaka’s out for Red Sox blood and the Yankees are out for blood as well offensively. The team continues to struggle with consistency on the offensive side of the ball so while a blowout victory would be a nice way to head into the off day tomorrow you have to be thinking somewhere in the back of your head what it will mean for the Yankees game on Friday. That’s baseball I guess, Go Yankees!