No Pressure (Boston) v. Pressure (New York)

Clearly that depends on which side you're on in one of baseball's best rivalries.

In this case, I'm talking about the Boston Red Sox resuming their season series with the New York Yankees for the next three days at Yankee Stadium in da Bronx, beginning tonight.

Eight days ago, the Yankees had cut the Red Sox lead in the AL East down to just four games. Now the deficit is back at eight games after the Red Sox record setting demolition of the White Sox in Chicago and the Yankees demolition at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, culminating in a 16-0 loss last night at Comerica Park.

Clearly, if the Yankees want any hope of winning the AL East in 2007 and even staying within a manageable deficit in the hunt for the American League Wild Card, they must sweep this series, or at worst, win two out of three.

At best, the Yankees will end this series five games behind and at worst their deficit could be back to eleven games. Clearly, momentum and offensive production trends currently favor Boston. However, when these two teams meet, anything can happen. And it usually does.

The Red Sox currently lead the season series, 7-5, with the final three games to be played at Fenway Park, September 14-16.

Per my regular format throughout the season, this post will be updated after the completion of each game.

Pitching match-ups:

Aug. 28: Ex Red Sox hero Damon lifts Yankees: @ Yankees 5, Red Sox 3
Yankees deficit: 7 games.
WP=Pettite (12-7), LP=Matsuzaka (13-11), SV=Rivera (21)

Aug. 29: Ex Red Sox hero Clemens lifts Yankees: @ Yankees 4, Red Sox 3
Yankees deficit: 6 games.
WP=Clemens (6-5), LP=Beckett (16-6), SV=Rivera (22)

Aug. 30: Wang blanks Red Sox:
@ Yankees 5, Red Sox 0
Yankees deficit: 5 games.
WP=Wang (16-6), LP=Schilling (8-6)