Red Sox (88-68) at New York Yankees (95-61)
SP - Jon Lester (15-8, 3.15) vs. Freddy Garcia (11-8, 3.77)
*** Red Sox Magic Number to Clinch a Playoff Spot - 5 ***
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Mike Aviles, 3B
6. Carl Crawford, LF
7. Marco Scutaro, SS
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9. Josh Reddick, RF
*** Rain is falling in the Bronx but because this is the penultimate series of the year, expect them to get this game in tonight. ***
Three Strikes:
1. The Red Sox open their biggest series of the year (haven't they all seemed like that lately?) and Mike Aviles, he of the .263 BA and .718 OPS in 2011 (.348/.849 in 34 games with the Red Sox), is hitting fifth.
It's not Aviles fault that Kevin Youkilis is hurting and that Carl Crawford is wrapping up a disappointing season and you can't fault Terry Francona for the same reasons. Things have got so bad for the Red Sox that Aviles is probably their best option at this point.
While there's no use discussing the fate of the 2011 Red Sox at this point - let them play it out and see what happens is all that can be said - this lineup problem tonight is an issue that Theo Epstein will have to conquer this winter.
As big of a part of the success of the Red Sox as Youkilis has been the last seven years, it may be time for him to move on to a new town. The versatile Youkilis is just too injury prone at this point and this looks like it will be the second straight year his season will end on the disabled list. He played in just 102 games last year and, if he does not return from his hip injury, will have played in only 120 games this year (along with countless games played while hurting). He will be 33-years-old at the start of 2012.
Youkilis will not fetch the Red Sox a big star but his contract (1 year left for roughly $10-million with an option for 2013) is moveable and maybe the Sox could flip him to the Mets for their own oft-injured third baseman David Wright (who will be 29 next year). Wright is due roughly $9-million in 2012 and has an option for 2013. If it works out he would be the Red Sox third baseman going forward, if not he would be a stopgap between Youkilis and prized prospect Willie Middlebrooks at the hot corner.
Even if it's not a Youkilis-for-Wright swap, the Sox need to create a market for him in order to find a righthanded answer for the middle of their lineup.
2. Jon Lester is on the way to another solid season and it may sound silly but it's getting to the point where Red Sox Nation may be taking his 15-18 wins and 3-ish ERA for granted.
The Red Sox need Lester to be great tonight in New York, with the playoffs riding on the last six games and with him coming off two subpar starts (0-2, 6.55 ERA).
Lester has the reputation of being a big game pitcher and he needs to live up to that tonight.
3. PLAYOFF RACE: The Rays (2 games behind the Red Sox for the Wild Card) are hosting the Blue Jays while the Angels (3 games behind the Red Sox) host the A's. It doesn't take a genius to see that, on paper, the Red Sox have the toughest weekend matchup.
The Red Sox had better find a way to take at least 2-of-3 from the Yankees or they will likely be heading to their final series in Baltimore looking up in the Wild Card chase.
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