Series Preview - New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Hello. I'm Matt. Bolding is for wusses!

Series Notes

• It's odd to say but the Yankee's best hitter this season has been Curtis Granderson. Granderson's Achilles heal was always facing left handers but this season, whether through hypnosis, self help books, or the Wade Boggs method of stuffing your face with fried chicken and lousy beer, Granderson has figured it out. In fact, he's hitting for more power versus lefties (.606 SLG vs. lefties to .554 vs. righties).
  
• Conversely, the Red Sox are experiencing about three... I hesitate to call them 'career years', but Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez are legitimate MVP candidates. As of Friday, August 5th those three players rank second, third and fifth in fWAR in the American League. The first Yankee on the list is Grandrson who is seventh.
• Sources tell me that when ever Hank Steinbrenner leaves his office Brian Cashman sneaks in and tapes a head shot of Rafael Soriano to his computer. Then he puts a peanut butter sandwich in the DVD player and pees on the wall.
• The Yankees did not make a trade at the deadline for the first time since 1999. It was previously reported the year was 1998 but Jay Jaffe sniffed out the error, pointing out the 1998 Yankees traded for Jim Leyritz at the deadline. Clearly that's what put that 125 win team over the top, Sylvester Stalone style. That was Leyritz's second stint with the Yankees. Ten points to the first one in the comments who can name (without looking it up!) two of the four teams he played for in between.
• Matt Kory : William Faulkner :: Jorge Posada's bat speed : dead rhino
• The Red Sox have outscored the Yankees by eight runs, or .073 runs per game. Put another way, the Sox are on pace to score 886 runs while the Yankees are on pace for 875. As neither team added a hitter at the deadline, it's likely the final totals are going to be similar.
  
• New York may be the city that never sleeps but Derek Jeter would like a damn nap every once in a while, ya know?
• Alex Rodriguez finds himself in yet another controversy. This time he folded an Ace Jack suited. The commissioner's office is looking into the matter.
• Remarkably all of Dustin Pedroia's plate appearances in last night's game resulted in either a hit or not a hit. This gives him either a hit or not a hit in 2,973 consecutive games. This is not a record.
• Mariano Rivera is Mariano Rivera, but there are a few underlying concerns for the 76 year old. First of all, ha ha, I'm just kidding. There are no concerns. Rivera's stats are jumping around a bit over the last few years, but we're talking about such small sample sizes, 60 innings here, 40 innings here, that it's impossible to really say anything definitive. Other than he'll probably close for the next 112 years.

Individual game notes after the jump!

Game One Notes

- Colon has pitched ten innings vs. Boston this season, comprising one start and one relief appearance. He's given up five runs in those innings and the Yankees have lost both games. Joe Girardi's binder likes this match up!

- Jon Lester is 8-1 with a 3.56 ERA and 92 Ks in 86 innings lifetime against New York. Not only that but Lester thinks Two Boots Pizza is the best in New York. Statistically, he's right.

- After hearing about the treatment Colon received this off season, Jonathan Papelbon had some plates injected into his shoulder too. He's feeling great!

Game Two Notes

- At my old site I used to write an around the NFL column each week which would inevitably result in several Andy Reid-mis-placed-the-playbook-because-he-was-concentrating-on-that-pepperoni-pizza jokes. I my mind CC Sabathia and Andy Reid are exactly the same person.

- Sabathia is having his best season since his 2008 season in Cleveland and Milwaukee. His K/BB rate is 3.60 which is quite good, and he leads all AL pitchers in fWAR. In contrast to the last few seasons when he was only a Cy Young competitor due to his win totals, this season he's not just a competitor, he's the company president.

Game Three Notes

- Looking at Freddy Garcia's stats from regular (3.322 ERA) to advanced (3.58 FIP) to more advanced (4.10 xFIP) you get a sense that things are maybe falling right for the guy.

- Garcia has been getting through innings by not doing anything. He's no walking many people (2.61 BB/9), not giving up homers (6% HR/FB), not striking many guys out (6.15 K/9) and, surprisingly, not getting ground balls (33% GB).

- Josh Becket may or may not win this game but afterwards he's going to eat the heck out of that sandwich.