While Jacoby Ellsbury was back in the lineup for the last two games, he'll take a seat once again as the Red Sox take on Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees, looking to make it four straight wins.
Boston Red Sox (85-57)
- Shane Victorino, CF
- Jonny Gomes, LF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Mike Napoli, 1B
- Daniel Nava, RF
- Stephen Drew, SS
- David Ross, C
- Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Starting Pitcher -- Felix Doubront
New York Yankees (75-65)
- Brett Gardner, CF
- Derek Jeter, DH
- Alfonso Soriano, LF
- Robinson Cano, 2B
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B
- Vernon Wells, RF
- Eduardo Nunez, SS
- Mark Reynolds, 1B
- Chris Stewart, C
Starting Pitcher -- Andy Pettitte
Another game against a lefty, another game without Xander Bogaerts. Whatever. I'm numb to it at this point.
Ellsbury's absence is slightly concerning given the recent thumb injury he suffered, but given that there's a lefty on the mound John Farrell may just have chosen today to give him the day off with the thumb in mind, rather than the thumb actually forcing the issue. Whatever the case, it forces the Sox into a 6-7 with some really ugly numbers vs. lefties. Given Will Middlebrooks' resurgence, it's questionable that both Nava and Drew are hitting that high after the meat of the order with Pettitte on the mound.
One man the Red Sox could use a big performance from is Felix Doubront. After a run of startling consistency, he's been a bit up-and-down over the past few weeks. Given how he faded midway through 2013, a good night for him could provide some nice added comfort for the Sox.