Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Boston Red Sox play a three-game series at Fenway Park starting on Friday night...
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Payback
This weekend's series will be the second in as many weeks between the two rivals, but the Yankees will hope the results are different this time around. After dropping two at Yankee Stadium, New York will look to bounce back in the season series with three in Boston. The teams are largely the same from a week ago, but there are a few new wrinkles added in -- more on that later.
Although the Red Sox enter Friday 9.5 games back of the Yanks in the AL East standings, New York needs to take advantage of the below .500 club.
The Roman Anthony effect
One huge change to the Red Sox is the addition of top prospect Roman Anthony. The Red Sox called up the slugging outfielder on Monday, and Anthony will get his first taste of the rivalry this weekend. Or will he?
The Yankees are set to use three southpaws this weekend (Ryan Yarbrough, Carlos Rodon, Max Fried) and Red Sox manager Alex Cora may stay away from using the left-handed youngster. We'll have to see what the lineups this weekend look like, but the Red Sox are 2-1 since Anthony's call-up, and although the rookie is 1-for-12 in his first three big league games, his two-run double was the catalyst for their win on Tuesday.
Rodon gets a redo
Rodon has been great this season, but on the mound in the rubber game against the Red Sox last Sunday, the southpaw pitched a dud.
The left-hander hurled just five innings, allowing five runs on three hits and three walks, which helped Boston clinch the weekend series for the Red Sox. Rodon will get a chance to redeem himself this weekend when he toes the rubber in Boston. Rodon is scheduled to pitch Saturday and, depending on how Friday's game goes, the veteran starter could be the difference in whether the Yankees win or lose the series, again.