Red Sox vs Yankees: Series 1 Preview

The Red Sox and Yankees will do battle this weekend in the most under-hyped meeting the two teams have had in years...

The New York media is doing the best they can to spark the rivalry fire with this story about a Sox T-shirt buried in the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium... but it's gonna take more than that to make this early-April meeting the magic of past showcase showdowns...

Tonight Clay Buchholz will sqaure off with Yankee's ace Chien-Ming Wang in his baptism into the Boston/New York rivalry.

Buchholz gave up 4 runs (3 earned) over 5 innings against the Blue Jays last week. He did strike out 7 in that outing, so his stuff is working at times... Clay seemed flustered after a Seab Casey error lead to a 3-run 4th forthe Jays... He'll need to keep his composure tonight if he wants the 'W'.

Wang on the other hand is 2-0 witha 1.38 ERA so far this season. He's given up just 10 hits, while fanning 8 in 13 innings of work.

David Ortiz is in a horrific slump, but he represents the Matchup to Watch tonight: Ortiz is 7-13 (.538) with a HR, 2 doubles and 5 RBI against Wang.

Other noteable lines agains Wang are: Manny's 4-9 (.444), Pedroia's 4-10 (.400) with 2 2B, and Coco's 4-12 (.333) witha triple and 2 SBs...

Bottom Line: If ever there was a time for Clay to step up and show us what he's really made of - it's tonight. Bartolo Colon is hurt, so his looming shadow isn't quiote as big, but a stong, 6-inning performace against the Yankees tonight should get him back on track and will certainly build his confidence...

On Saturday Captain Kickass Josh Beckett will face Mike Mussina. Beckett will be looking to redeem himself after a mediocre start in Toronto that callapsed on him in the 5th inning when he seemed to grow weary.

Beckett was 2-1 with a 4.39 ERA in four starts against the Yanks last season. He gave up 4 runs in three of those four starts earning a win, a ND and a loss before striking out 7 in a 7-inning, 3-hit victory in September. Robinson Cano leads the Yankees with a .389 BA, a HR, 4 RBI and just 3 Ks agains Beckett. Jason Giambi, who is currently batting .056, has 2 HRs, 6 RBI and a .333 BA against Beckett...

Mike Mussina has been looking old for a few years now, but he's currently 1-1 and is coming off of a 6-inning, 2 hit performance against the Rays. Mike Lowell has the big numbers against Moose (4-5 with 2 HRs, a double and 3 RBI) but he will miss this series. That said, all other Red Sox players with ABs versus Mussina are collectively batting .372 against him...

Bottom Line: You know Beckett has been chewing on his last outing all week, so I expect a dominating performance from him on Saturday... if it doesn't rain.

Daisuke will wrap things up as the series pulls a 180, with the Sox current ace facing the Yankee's rookie phenom Phil Hughes.

Matsuzaka has been on fire posting a 1.47 ERA while averaging 7.3 Ks per game this season. The banged up Posada (.556, 2 2B) and Jeter (.333, 2 HR) have had the most sucess against Dice-K, but Jeter may not play this weekend (leg) and Posada is strugglling with a "dead arm" despite hitting a HR last nigiht.

Phil Hughes owns a line of 0-1, 5.30 ERA , 5 BB, 6 SO, but that's mostly due to his last outing in which he lasted just 3 innings agains the Royals. He struggled with his control and gave up 3 runs and 6 hits and 4 walks in that outing. Yankees fans are leaning on Hughes to help anchor a sketchy rotaion this year, so the pressure will be on for him to step up is his "baptism" - just like Buchholz tonight.

Bottom Line: Catching the Tigers asleep and the Yankees hurt could turn out to be a huge blessing. The Sox and Yanks are notched at 5-5 behind the 6-3 Orioles, so the winner of this series could be the top seed in the AL East come Monday, while the lsoer could find themselves back in the cellar behind improved Jays and Rays squads.