BOSTON RED SOX (92-64)

at NEW YORK YANKEES (80-76)

First pitch: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Boston -200, New York +170, Total: 8.5

With a chance to win the American League East, the Red Sox take on the rival Yankees in the Bronx.

The Red Sox (92-64) have clinched a postseason berth and, with their magic number at one, will capture the AL East crown with a victory over the Yankees (80-76) in New York on Tuesday night. The Yankees, five games behind the Orioles for the second wild-card berth in the American League, have seen their playoff hopes all but crumble this month. John Farrell’s club has won four straight against the Bombers, and has gone 11-5 against them this season. At Yankee Stadium, the teams have split six games, and five of those six games have gone UNDER the total. LHP David Price (17-8, 3.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) will get the start for the Sox in the opener, and he’ll be opposed by rookie RHP Luis Cessa (4-3, 4.30 ERA in 58 2/3 IP). The red-hot Red Sox have won 11 in a row, while the Yankees—winners on Monday—have dropped nine of 12. Boston has posted an impressive 46-32 mark away from Fenway this season. Joe Girardi’s team has gone 44-31 at home.

The Red Sox (861 runs - 1st in MLB) boast the best offense in the major leagues. They have an embarrassment of riches in their lineup, highlighted by DH David Ortiz (.321, 37 HR, 124 RBI), RF Mookie Betts (.321, 31 HR, 109 RBI, 26 SB) and 2B Dustin Pedroia (.319, 15 HR, 72 RBI). SS Xander Bogaerts (.293, 20 HR, 88 RBI), 1B Hanley Ramirez (.291, 29 HR, 110 RBI) and CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.271, 26 RBI, 87 RBI) have also had big years for Boston. The Red Sox haven't seen much of Cessa—he’s only appeared in 15 major-league games—and only Pedroia (1-for-4) has more than three at-bats against him. Ramirez is 2-for-2 against him with a homer. Price has gone 1-2 against the Yankees in four starts this season. In 23 1/3 innings against New York in 2016, he’s allowed 20 earned runs. For her career, Price is 14-9 against the Yankees with a 4.51 ERA. (His team’s record in those games is 21-13.)

The Yankees have embraced the youth moment, and they’ve been rewarded by the play of C Gary Sanchez (.315, 19 HR, 40 RBI), who many believe is deserving of the AL Rookie of the Year Award. SS Didi Gregorius (.276, 19 HR, 68 RBI) has probably been the most consistent Yankee all year, while veterans CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.259, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 18 SB), LF Brett Gardner (.259, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 16 SB) and 3B Chase Headley (.254, 14 HR, 50 RBI) have underproduced. Ellsbury (25-for-73 with 1 HR, 6 2B, 2 3B) has hit Price extremely well, as have Headley (11-for-30 with 2 2B and 1 3B) and DH Brian McCann (.239, 19 HR, 56 RBI), who’s taken him deep three times. 1B Mark Teixeira (.204, 14 HR, 39 RBI) has just 15 hits in 70 at-bats against Price, but he’s also hit three bombs off him. In his lone career start against the Red Sox—just 11 days ago—Cessa surrendered three earned runs in five innings and took the loss.