After avoiding each other over the first two months of the season, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox collide for the second time in as many weekends. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is set for 7:10 p.m. ET from Fenway Park. New York will send righty Domingo German (4-3, 3.49 ERA) to the mound while the Red Sox hand the ball to Tanner Houck (3-6, 5.23).
Boston enters as the narrow -120 favorite on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the Yankees at +100. The run total is set at 9.5.
Yankees-Red Sox picks: Friday, June 16
Injury report
Yankees
Day to day: OF Harrison Bader (hamstring)
Out: RP Ian Hamilton (groin), OF Aaron Judge (toe), OF Greg Allen (hip), SP Carlos Rodon (back)
Red Sox
Out: RP Richard Bleier (shoulder), RP John Schreiber (shoulder), RP Joely Rodriguez (shoulder), INF Yu Chang (hamate), 2B/SS Trevor Story (elbow)
Starting pitchers
Domingo German vs. Tanner Houck
German has been a life-saver for the Yankees as they’ve juggled several injuries in their starting rotation. The righty has allowed two or fewer runs in six of seven starts since the beginning of May, largely thanks to a curveball that ranks among baseball’s best. German throws the yakker over 40% of the time, and it enters play on Friday with a .168 batting average against and a robust 37.4% whiff rate. His fastball is pedestrian, but as long as he can rely on his curveball and changeup, it won’t matter.
Houck’s last start came last weekend against these very same Yankees, and it was arguably his best of the season to date: two runs on just three hits and a walk over six innings. The righty’s command can come and go, but he boasts a wicked slider and splitter that miss a ton of bats when they’re dancing around the bottom of the zone. The potential has always been there for Houck (82nd-percentile whiff rate), and he could be putting it all together at the right time.
Over/Under pick
These two teams combined for 5, 4 and 5 runs over their three-game set last weekend, and I’m a bit confused as to why the number is so high tonight. Yes, Fenway Park creates crooked numbers as well as any ballpark outside of Coors Field, but these are two starters throwing the ball well right now facing two offenses that have seen better days. The Yankees lineup has been largely smoke and mirrors since Judge went down, while Masataka Yoshida is slumping badly for Boston.
Pick: Under 9.5
Moneyline pick
German and New York’s bullpen — fresh after a day off — should pitch well enough to keep the Yankees in this game, but it’s hard to have a lot of faith in this offense to do enough to win right now. I trust the trio of Rafael Devers, Yoshida and Alex Verdugo more than I trust the heart of New York’s order right now, and I think they’ll help Boston eke out a tight game late.
Pick: Red Sox
