Bozo Bosox, Phugly Phils Square Off Against NY's Finest

Tonight is a start of a rivalry week in the New York baseball scene. The Yankees travel up the turnpike to Fenway Park to battle their archrival Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies invade Citi-Field for the second time this season. At the conclusion of these three game sets, both the Mets and Yankees will battle each other in the first rendition of the Subway Series in the new Yankee Stadium. There is much more than bragging rights on the line these next six days.

Brawl in Beantown…The Yankees are clicking on all cylinders right now. They come into Fenway having won twenty of their last 27 games at a time when Yankee killer David Ortiz is in the worst slump of his career. Ortiz is batting .197 right now and recently had his eyes checked out by an optometrist. He received eye-drops for the dryness in his eyes, which he says causes him to blink while trying to concentrate on pitches. Jacoby Ellsbury may also miss tonight’s opener, after aggravating his shoulder while sliding awkwardly into second base in a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

In the five games that the two teams played against each other this season, the Red Sox have won all five, but that was when the Yankees were without A-Rod, and Mark Teixeira was batting .198. Teixeira is now batting .286, has 51 RBI’s and is tied for third with Albert Pujols in homeruns, with 18. Melky Cabrera, who has vastly improved since last season, has been the new Captain Clutch for the Yankees. He has three walk-off hits and a walk-off homerun this season, and has made himself a threat to any opposing pitcher. The Yankees certainly have what it takes to sweep the Sox, but they’ll take at least two.

Phugghedaboutit….The New York Mets enter their series with the Phillies 3 games out of first place in the NL East. A sweep here would give them a tie, and then it would be on to Yankee Stadium to face the surging Yankees. After getting swept out of Pittsburgh, and the rash of injuries that seem to plague them, it looks as if the Mets may find themselves further behind the Phillies after these next six games. They will be without Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, J.J. Putz and Oliver Perez, among others.

Fortunately for the Mets, the Phillies have their woes too. Closer Brad Lidge, who did not blow a save last season, has six blown saves and an ERA of 7.27 thus far. Jimmy Rollins, a favorite of Met fans, has been in a 2 for 20 slump and was dropped to sixth in the batting order from his usual perch at the top. The Mets will face 46-year old Jaime Moyer on Thursday night and he is having a less than stellar season with a 4-5 record and a 6.27 ERA. In eight innings against the Mets this season, he has allowed 12 runs. The Mets can take two games in this series, but everyone who plays will have to step up. David Wright, who hasn’t homered in 100 games, has to be better at the plate. The Mets best chances to beat Philly over this home stand are tonight when Johan goes to the mound, and Thursday when they face Moyer. If they can manage to beat Hamels, that would be an added bonus for them, as the Phillies return home to welcome the Red Sox over the weekend.

Pitching Matchups

NYY vs. BOS

Burnett (4-2, 4.69) vs, Beckett (6-2, 4.09)

Wang (0-3, 14.46) vs. Wakefield (7-3, 4.50)

Sabathia (5-3, 3.56) vs. Penny (5-2, 5.85)

NYM vs. PHI

Santana (7-3, 2.00) vs. Happ (4-0, 2.48)

Pelfrey (4-2, 4.85) vs. Hamels (4-2, 4.40)

Redding (0-2, 6.97) vs. Moyer (4-5, 6.27)