Red Sox at Yankees lineup: Is it too early to talk about first place?

The Red Sox (32-25) can move into a virtual first-place tie with the Yankees (32-23) with a victory behind reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (4.24 ERA) tonight at Yankee Stadium (7:05 p.m., NESN).

Porcello enters the game having given up the most hits in the league, and he’s still sitting in the low 4’s, ERA-wise. It’s all about sinker control, says Farrell, and it’s hard not to agree that if Porcello can limit the longballs, he’s bound to start having some really nice games as his BABIP falls back to Earth. He simply strikes out too many guys and walks too few to avoid it.

Maybe this is wishful thinking against a terrifying Yankees lineup, but the Sox will have their chances. Old man C.C. Sabathia (4.12 ERA), still doing his thing, starts for the Yankees. He is who you think he is. He has been rolling lately, albeit against some weak lineups (KC/TB/OAK/TOR), and is probably due for a pounding. Earlier in the year, that challenge might have been met with silence from Boston’s bats, but as Masahiro Tanaka and Chris Tillman can tell you, that was then and this is now. It wasn’t just the three homers last night. Even their outs were loud, as Mrs. JBJ will tell you:

These are good problems to have, all told, but maybe Erin won’t have them after her husband-the-lefty-killer takes Sabathia yard. His lefty-hitting ways have made platooning for Andrew Benintendi a straightforward affair; Chris Young, another lefty smasher, will play LF and bat second. Mitch Moreland, Pablo Sandoval and Christian Vazquez are out, with Sam Travis, Josh Rutledge and Sandy Leon taking their places. Deven Marrero shifts over to third base, while Rutledge will play second. Here are the full lineups: