By: The Frisco Kid
AL East — Red Sox Looking in Rear View | Can Yankees Catch Up
In what may be a season long roller coaster, the AL East is churning like a tropical storm. It seems that no matter what the Yankees do right, the Red Sox do one better.
The race heats up in the AL East as the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays in a four game weekend set. The Red Sox find themselves in the Pacific Northwest taking on the red hot Mariners.
This weekend is a prime opportunity for the Yankees to make up some much needed ground over these pesky Red Sox. This Boston team is for real and they are not going away. Having won four straight, they hit the Mariners at a good time; when they are hot.
The Sox are going to need every bat to fight off the upstart Mariners. They walked away with a 2-1 victory in the series opener on Thursday night behind another strong outing from David Price who threw for 7 innings giving up 5 hits and one earned run with no walks.
The Mariners
Don’t underestimate the Mariners. These guys are hot as well and hitting the cover off the ball. The Red Sox got away with one on Thursday and scored in the second on a misplayed fly ball to right. This seldom happens to this Mariners club.
The Mariners have built a very solid defensive team. Relying on Felix Hernandez just might keep them out of the race down the stretch in a long baseball season. Find a great bookie service and take a serious look at the Red Sox. They are proving to be a fantastic bet this year against the numbers.
Where do the Yankees fit in all of the madness in this AL East Race?
The Yankees will be fine. They are too deep to not be! This team is built for the long haul and they will give the Red Sox a run for the money. You can count on the Yankees hitting. The question is, can you count on the Yankees pitching? That is yet to be determined.
Look, the Yankees are solid on the mound and it’s tough playing in that town. Pitchers are held to a completely different standard. When a team has a guy like Severino with 9 wins, everyone else is chopped liver! The Yankees pitching rotation is squared away and built for the long haul.
Aaron Boone and staff have this team built for success. With the likes of Chad Green at 4 wins, Severino 9 wins, C.C. Sabathia 4 wins, Robertson 5 wins, Tanaka 7 wins, and Sonny Gray with 4 wins. But this is not the end of the story.
Aroldis Chapman has held up his end of the bargain like a champion with 19 saves!
Can the Pitching Staff Keep up Torid Pace?
This pitching staff is loaded so far this year. Nobody is saying this is the second coming of the 1998 Yankees when they had Pettitte, Wells Cone, Irabu and Hernandez! AND with a bullpen stacked with the greatest closer of all time—Mariano Rivera.
The Pen also had Mendoza, Stanton, Nelson and Loyd. That was a team for the ages and the Yankees will probably never have that luxury again.
At the end of the day in 2018, the Yankees will hold their own with the Red Sox. They may take over the lead in the AL East this weekend. The Red Sox will need to sweep the Mariners and we don’t see that happening, not by a long shot.
The Mariners are a good ball club and they will be a huge problem for the Sox at Safeco. The Yankees should step and most likely get a series sweep in Tampa.
This is a fantastic weekend for baseball with two great scenarios being played out in both the American League East and West. Call your online bookie and lay the numbers this weekend. There is real opportunity to pad the baseball bankroll.
