Red Sox, Yankees to duel for 1st place
Baseball’s most bitter rivals, ready to tangle once again.
And this time, the Red Sox and Yankees bring the two best records in the big leagues into a series with first place in the AL East on the line.
Following their brawl at Fenway Park last month, the teams meet on Yankee Stadium soil for the first time this season Tuesday night. New York right-hander Luis Severino is scheduled to start the opener of the three-game set against Boston lefty Drew Pomeranz.
“Look, Red Sox-Yankees is always big, and obviously they’re a great team,” firstyear New York manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. “So we understand there will be a lot of excitement around it. There will be more eyes on this one, and that’s what you love about being a part of this.”
With the weather finally warming on the East Coast, both teams are scorching hot.
Mookie Betts and the Red Sox boast the top mark in the majors at 25-9, good for a onegame edge over New York. Boston has bounced back from a three-game skid to win eight of its past 12, including three in a row.
Meanwhile, the Yankees (24-10) are on a roll. Picking off quality challengers one by one, they’ve gone 15-1 since April 21 for their best 16-game stretch since 1980.
Powered by Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge and a steady pitching staff, the Yankees have outscored opponents 98-37 over the past 16 games.
Lincecum’s rocky debut: Tim Lincecum, signed in the offseason by the Rangers, began his injury rehab assignment by giving up two runs, a hit and a walk in an inning pitched for Triple-A Round Rock. The longtime Giants
right-hander got a late start, not getting a spring training after signing in March and then dealing with a blister. Farquhar leaves hospital: White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar has been released from the hospital. The White Sox say he is resting at home with his family.
Farquhar collapsed in the dugout with a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm during a home game against Houston on April 20. He had brain surgery the next day.
Briefly: The Cubs placed struggling right-hander Yu Darvish on the 10-day disabled list with the flu. The Cubs also recalled right-hander Cory Mazzoni from Triple-A Iowa on Monday and optioned reliever Luke Farrell to their top farm club . ... The Nationals reinstated right-hander Shawn Kelley from the 10-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Rafael Bautista to Triple-A Syracuse . ... The Padres moved right-hander Bryan Mitchell to the bullpen and optioned reliever Kazuhisa Makita to Triple-A El Paso. San Diego also reinstated reliever Matt Strahm from the 10-day DL.