4/4 Online Seats Game Thread: Red Sox Ready For Yanks

The Yankees have had their moment in the sun. Now, Josh Beckett and the revamped Red Sox look to cut off the Yankees at the knees on opening night.

And the Season Begins…

And the season begins… There’s no doubt the bureaucrats “got it right” on this one – pairing the league’s biggest rivals in the 2010 MLB opener. All signs point to a classic, fit with a marquee pitching matchup, palpable hatred on both sides, and the two best teams from the past decade kicking off the new one. Josh Beckett takes the hill against C.C. Sabathia as the two AL East juggernaughts begin their annual battle for divisional supremacy. Get to your TV at 8:00 pm sharp – or 6 pm if you’re like me in the Mountain Time Zone – and prepare to watch baseball at its finest. Keys of the Game Starting Pitcher Coming off a strong spring, striking out 22 in 19.1 innings while walking just 5, Beckett certainly has the edge over Sabathia, who has looked sluggish in 18.2 IP thus far (15 K, 8 BB). Though spring stats are rarely an indication of long-term success, they are a good indicator of a hurler’s readiness at the season’s onset. If C.C. continues to struggle with his command, he could be in for a long night. Expect Beckett to be sharp as the team gets off to an early lead in the first few innings.

What could Josh Beckett sign for?

In the coming weeks, Josh Beckett and his agent (Michael Moye) will meet with Theo Epstein and brass to discuss an extension. There's no way that Beckett sniffs $161 million, let alone $150 million, but I'm here to tell you there's absolutely no chance Beckett settles for less than $100 million over his total value. In the end, I'm calling a six-year, $111 million deal for Captain Kickass.

NYY 3, BOS 0 – Sabathia Unhittable, Sox Fall

On Saturday night, the Sox-Yanks rivalry added another thrilling match to their dossier.

The game was hotly contested for the first seven innings. The game was scoreless through 5 ½, before the Yankees broke through in the sixth on a Robinson Cano homer to left : NYY 1, BOS 0.

The Yankees added two more on a bloop single with two-outs in the eighth. Wagner placed a fastball on the inside corner, but Damon got just enough on it to bloop it over Pedroia's head.

9/26: Big money pitchers

GAME NOTES: A huge test on if Dice can be trusted ... ok, he can't ever be trusted this season, so let me modify... A huge test on if Dice can be somewhat trusted in the playoffs will come with his performance against the Yankees. If the dam breaks, it won't be pretty. On the other side, we have to deal with their big dog, CC Sabathia.

Lester’s Case for the Cy Young

The Cy Young Award campaigns are getting real heated this time of year. The baseball media has zeroed in on four prime candidates: Zack Greinke, C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander, and Felix Hernadez.

Each of these pitchers has a great resume, but Jon Lester has had quite the season. Where does he stack up against the competition?

ERA

1) Zack Greinke - 2.14 - 1st in AL
2) Felix Hernandez - 2.45 - 2nd in AL
3) C.C. Sabathia - 3.31 - 6th in AL
4) Jon Lester - 3.33 - 7th in AL
5) Justin Verlander - 3.44 - 9th in AL

8/23: CC vs. Josh

CC Sabathia takes on Josh Beckett.tonight in the rubber game of the series. The Yankees could put the division away, or they could let the Red SOx linger around in the distance, giving them a slight chance.

Yankees Coming to Town

The Sox face off against their bitter rivals the New York Yankees in a pivotal three game series in Fenway. An important juncture for the AL East race, this series will determine whether the Sox can climb back in it or if the Yanks wrap it up early.

Game previews, matchups, and Sox news inside...

Lady Luck is a fickle mistress — just ask the Sox and Yankees

This decade has been the most monumental in the franchise's history. Not only did new ownership arrive, but Fenway Park was revitalized, a Nation was born (in the media, that is), a new generation of stars (Nomar, Manny, Pedro, Big Papi, Papelbon, Pedroia) put their stamp on their team... oh, and there were those two World Championships as well.

All this was done thanks to the incredible work that Theo Epstein and the rest of the baseball operations put in to give us the players that we root for every day. They are, to be certain, the reasons why we have our first two rings since 1918.

But let's not count out Lady Luck. Lady Luck is a fickle mistress; you never know when she'll turn on you.

Nine Up, Nine Down: Welcoming the Yankees

In advance of the Yankees coming to town tomorrow for a three-game set in what will be the unofficial start of baseball season around here, I figure we should get caught up with what's going on in Yankeeland.

After the jump we bring you up to speed on CC Sabathia's struggles, the injury report plus a breakdown of the pitcher's the Sox will face this weekend.