Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees - September 15, 2024

As a retired coach, I can’t help but feel the electric atmosphere that will surround Yankee Stadium this Sunday as the Boston Red Sox take on their historic rivals, the New York Yankees. With both teams pushing for a crucial win, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Red Sox will rely on Kutter Crawford’s right arm against Carlos Rodón and his powerful left-handed presence.

Let’s break down what we can expect from these two pitchers. Crawford enters with an 8-14 record and a 4.2 ERA. He’s had his share of struggles this season, yet there’s something to be said about a young pitcher who has had ample opportunity to learn and adapt under pressure. His strikeout rate of about 8.4 per nine innings indicates he has the capability to keep hitters at bay when he finds his rhythm.

On the other side, Rodón presents a strong challenge with his respectable 14-9 record and slightly lower ERA of around 3.8. Notably, he boasts impressive strikeout numbers at nearly 9 per game – essential for stifling opposing lineups. Both pitchers have been trending towards unders in recent games; however, this matchup may see a different narrative unfold.

From an analytical perspective, it’s essential to recognize how these offenses match up against their respective starters. The Yankees average over five runs per game with solid hitting stats—a .246 batting average and an impressive percentage of on-base opportunities suggest they are capable of putting runs on the board quickly if they capitalize on mistakes from Crawford.

Conversely, while the Red Sox average just shy of five runs at about 4.8 per game, they generate more hits—averaging nearly 8.9 each contest—suggesting they might create scoring opportunities even if those aren’t being converted into runs consistently.

The Yankees come into this game having lost their last encounter against Boston by a hefty scoreline (7-1), which is bound to weigh heavily in their minds as they seek redemption on home turf—especially considering their current streak where they’ve gone winless against the spread in five games leading up to this clash.

I would anticipate an intense battle where both teams give everything they’ve got on offense given how pivotal this matchup is for postseason aspirations for both squads—not just personal rivalries but also playoff positioning is key here.

Despite my initial inclination towards seeing Rodón as potentially shutting down the Red Sox lineup based solely on statistics alone, one cannot underestimate how quickly baseball narratives can shift after one dominating performance—or even just momentum swings within games like this historically charged rivalry offers.

As such, my prediction leans towards seeing Boston pull off another upset victory here due largely to their confidence gained after last week’s successful outing against New York combined with Rodón perhaps not being able to command hitters as effectively as needed in high-stakes moments during critical innings today—leading us potentially into high-scoring territory resulting in over outcomes across total runs scored throughout our anticipated battle tonight!