Yankees vs. Red Sox Prediction: Can Gerrit Cole Bounce Back to Keep Yankees’ World Series Dream Alive?
By Peter Dewey
If you told New York Yankees fans that they’d have Gerrit Cole facing Nathan Eovaldi in a win-or-go home playoff game, I think they’d take that scenario any day of the week.
However, Cole has not looked like the same pitcher since he injured his hamstring, and he’s allowed 15 earned runs in his last 17.2 innings. Not great.
Should the Yankees now be worried about Gerrit Cole starting the AL Wild Card Game should they make it that far? He hasn't looked like himself since suffering that hamstring injury.https://t.co/zjTu6Qo8Em
— Yanks Go Yard (@YanksGoYardFS) September 30, 2021
Gerrit Cole has allowed more extra base hits in the month of September than any pitcher in baseball (17).
— Paul Hembekides (@PaulHembo) September 30, 2021
Eovaldi, who was rocked by the Yankees in their last series with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway, will also have a chance to bounce back on Tuesday. Facing his former team, Eovaldi will look to channel the magic from his playoff performances in 2018 when Boston won the World Series.
WynnBET Sportsbook has the Yankees as a favorite in this matchup, but after winning three straight at Fenway in late September, can the Yanks pull off another impressive road win?
Yankees vs. Red Sox Odds, Run Line and Total
Run Line:
Yankees -1.5 (+135)
Red Sox +1.5 (-160)
Moneyline:
Yankees: -115
Red Sox: +105
Total: 8.5 (Over -120/Under +100)
Red Sox vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick
While Cole has been brutal the past month, he did spin a solid game against Boston on Sept. 24, allowing just three runs through six innings of work, punching out six.
As for Eovaldi, this will be his seventh start against the Bronx Bombers this season. He’s allowed 15 runs (14 earned) in his previous six starts, but it’s worth noting that New York is hitting .279 against Eovaldi this season with a .744 OPS.
I think that Aaron Boone and Alex Cora will pull out all the stops to win this game, which means Cole (uncharacteristically) and Eovaldi may be on short leashes in Tuesday’s matchup.
If this becomes a bullpen game, it favors New York, as it has the fourth-best bullpen ERA in the league (3.52). With Luis Severino and Domingo German returning to bolster the pen as well as Jonathan Loaisiga, the Yankees could shorten this game if they need to and their high-leverage guys show up.
New York killed Boston’s bullpen in late September with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge coming through in the clutch multiple times, and I’d trust the Yankees’ relievers a lot more than Hansel Robles, Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes to get the job done.
This is going to be a wild game, as all Yankees-Red Sox matchups are, but give me the Yanks at -115 to advance to the ALDS.
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