ALDS preview: Yankees and Red Sox meet again, but with a new spin

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox meeting in the postseason might not seem like the freshest idea in 2018, but consider this: These aren’t the Red Sox of yesteryear and they’re not the same ol’ Yankees either.

Yes, they’re bitter rivals. Yes, they’re two of the better teams in baseball. And, yes, they’re two of the most widely identified teams in sports. But these Yankees and Red Sox are different. They’re like the modern reboot.

Both teams feature a number of homegrown players and young stars, some of the youthful faces of the game. We’re talking about the Aaron Judges and Mookie Betts of the world. And the hired guns they do have — Giancarlo Stanton and J.D. Martinez — well, they’re both worth the price of admission. They both mash, scoring lots and hitting homers. On the pitching side, their strengths vary. The Red Sox have better starters and the Yankees have a better bullpen. That could be what makes the difference here.

So while it’s perfectly understandable that some people have Red Sox and Yankees fatigue, do keep in mind this is the first time they’ve met in the postseason since 2004. The stakes are high. The teams are good. And this series should be quite entertaining.

Schedule

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 5, in Boston, 7:32 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 6 in Boston, 8:15 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 8, in New York, 7:40 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 4*: Tuesday, Oct. 9, in New York, 8:07 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 5*: Thursday, Oct, 11, in Boston, 7:40 p.m. ET (TBS)
* if necessary

Previously

The Red Sox edged the Yankees in the season series, winning it 10-9 with a victory on the final day of the regular season. Home-field advantage was big during the regular season series. Boston won seven of 10 games at Fenway Park, while the Yankees won six of nine at Yankee Stadium. The games were not surprisingly high scoring. Boston averaged six runs per game and New York a shade over five.

Pitching

Game 1: J.A. Happ (17-6, 3.65) vs. Chris Sale (12-4, 2.11)
Game 2: Masahiro Tanaka (12-6, 3.75) vs. David Price (16-7, 3.58)
Game 3: Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 3.81) vs. Luis Severino (19-8, 3.39)
Game 4*: TBD vs. CC Sabathia (9-7, 3.65)
Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD

The Red Sox early clinch allowed them to set up their preferred rotation. It will be Sale in Game 1, which is no surprise given his elite level performance again this season when healthy. Sale was sidelined twice during the second half though with shoulder inflammation, so there are still some lingering concerns there. Price starting at Fenway Park is a no-brainer. He’s 9-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 16 starts at home compared to 7-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 14 starts on the road. Rick Porcello will follow, with former Yankees righty Nathan Eovaldi currently scheduled as Boston’s Game 4 starter.

J.A. Happ was a candidate to start the AL wild-card game, so it’s no surprise he’s Aaron Boone’s choice here. He’s been good throughout his entire career against Boston, posting a 2.98 ERA over 117.2 innings. He was lights out against them this season, going 1-1 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts. Tanaka just pitched against Boston on Sept. 20, allowing five runs over four innings. The Yankees will go with Luis Severino and CC Sabathia when the series goes to New York.

The bullpens will play a key role too. Yankees relievers finished No. 3 in bullpen ERA, while Red Sox relievers were No. 9. Both bullpens are deep, but it’s worth noting that closers Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman each struggled during the season series. Kimbrel had a 4.76 ERA in 5 2/3 innings. Chapman a 9.00 in six innings.

Yankees keys to victory

• The Yankees need outs from their starting pitchers. That might sound kinda backward, but that’s baseball in 2018. Manager Aaron Boone won’t mind going to his bullpen in the sixth inning, but he needs his starters to get him there in good shape. If his starters can’t contain Boston’s lineup, putting the team in an early hole, it will be an uphill battle.

• Winning at least one game in Boston would also be huge for New York. Going home 0-2 wouldn’t necessarily mean it’s over, but 0-2 against a Boston team that set a franchise record for victories is different than 0-2 against most teams.

Red Sox keys to victory

• The Yankees hit an MLB record 267 home runs this season. Chances are you won’t keep them in the ballpark, meaning one clear key for Boston will be to limit traffic. Solo home runs can add up fast, but they won’t do nearly as much damage as multi-run homers will. Limit walks. Play solid defense. Make the Yankees one-dimensional.

• For the Red Sox offense, the biggest key will be to be themselves. Boston led MLB in on-base percentage (.339), which is a big reason they actually outscored the Yankees by 25 runs this season despite hitting 59 less homers. Create traffic. Work pitch counts. Make the Yankees earn 27 outs.

• MLB postseason predictions: Who we think will win the World Series
• Internet rallies behind A’s fan who had beer thrown on him by Yankees fan
• Yankees vs. Red Sox is a whole new ballgame as they finally face off again
• Yahoo Sports 2018 All-MLB Team: Mookie Betts, Mike Trout lead way