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in Balance Discussion Thu Dec 27, 2018 3:06 am
by hong wei • Farseer | 232 Posts | 2320 Points

NEW YORK — When the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox get together for their next series Youth Christian Djoos Jersey , both teams could feature somewhat different rosters.

After Sunday’s finale of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium, the longtime rivals will not meet again until Aug. 2 at Fenway Park — two days after the non-waiver trade deadline.

Both teams will play 25 games before the next installment of the rivalry.

The teams head into the ninth meeting with four wins apiece after Chris Sale fanned 11 in seven one-hit innings in an 11-0 rout Saturday. Rafael Devers hit a grand slam among a career-high five hits while J.D. Martinez drove in three runs as the Red Sox rebounded from opening the series with an 8-1 loss Friday.

Devers has 14 RBIs in his last 12 games while Martinez is hitting .432 with 12 of his major league-leading 67 RBIs in his last nine games.

The Yankees will be looking to rebound from getting shut out for the fourth time this season and third time since June 23.

Off the field, trade talks were a popular topic as both Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski addressed it.

The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher to bolster the back end of their rotation anchored by Sunday’s starting pitcher Luis Severino (12-2, 2.10 ERA).

With the crosstown New York Mets falling to one of the worst records in the National League, talk of a possible deal for Jacob deGrom is circulating, though Toronto’s J.A. Happ or Texas Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels could be more realistic.

“If the best business decisions happened to be with a rival, that’s not a problem for me,” said Cashman on Friday, while noting he has been in touch with Omar Minaya, one of three men holding the Mets GM role in Sandy Alderson’s leave of absence. “As far as I’m concerned it match just makes sense, I don’t care who (it’s) with.

As for the Red Sox, they already filled a need by adding a right-handed hitting first baseman in Steve Pearce. Pearce was obtained Thursday night from the Toronto Blue Jays but Dombrowski said Saturday the deal could have been completed earlier and any changes would not be overly significant.

“People are calling, and you just kind of check in and make sure they know what’s taking place and vice versa,” Dombrowski said Saturday afternoon. “The one thing with us is Womens Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey , we’re going to try to be the best club we can, regardless of what the Yankees do. And we all know that they have a really good team.”

Neither team is motivated to get something done now and both executives will watch Severino face David Price (9-5, 3.66) in a matchup of pitchers who are rolling of late.

Severino can become the first 13-game winner in the majors after he allowed six hits in seven scoreless innings Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“There’s no question that he’s our ace, and we know that when he gets the ball, he has a chance to dominate and we have a good chance to get it done that day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday.

Severino also is 7-0 with a 1.83 ERA in nine home starts this season. He also is 10-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last 13 regular season home starts, the longest streak at home since David Cone went 16 starts without a home loss from Aug. 17, 1997, to Aug. 27, 1998.

Severino’s home unbeaten streak matches Seattle’s Wade LeBlanc for the longest active streak in the majors.

The right-hander has turned in 14 straight starts without allowing more than three runs. It is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by a Yankee starting pitcher since Rudy May from Aug. 2, 1980-April 20, 1981.

Besides racking up wins, Severino also is maintaining velocity, especially late in outings. His 98th pitch Tuesday was tracked at 100.1 mph http://www.officialcapitals.com/authentic-adidas-evgeny-kuznetsov-jersey , was among 12 at least 100 mph and his 44 pitches tracked at 100 leads all starting pitchers.

Severino’s last home loss was to the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 3. He is 2-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) against Boston.

Price is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in his last nine starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each outing. He last pitched Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels and recorded his ninth win by allowing one run and five hits in six innings.

Things are going so well that he ended his press conference following his last outing by making fun of his carpal tunnel syndrome that some speculated was due to playing the video game Fortnite and kept him out of a game in New York in May.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go, so I don’t think so,” Price said before adding “Yeah, Fortnite.”

Price is attempting to reach double-digits in wins before the All-Star break for the first time since 2012 with Tampa Bay and third time overall.

The left-hander is 15-12 with a 4.67 ERA in 39 appearances (38 starts) against the Yankees. At the current Yankee Stadium, he is 8-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 19 starts.

Since joining the Red Sox in 2016, he is 2-4 with a 7.42 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees.

The week started with a little trash talk from the underdog . The rest of it was dominated by speculation about a certain 40-year-old quarterback’s injured throwing hand .

Plenty of intrigue for when the Jaguars and Patriots meet in Sunday’s AFC championship game?

New England (14-3), the defending Super Bowl champion, is favored heading into its seventh straight conference title game. But the polished veneer it normally displays at this time of year is showing flecks of imperfection after Tom Brady injured his right hand during practice.

The injury kept Brady limited in workouts to begin the week and caused him to sit out practice entirely on Thursday.

Brady has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career that includes four Super Bowl MPV honors. He said a bit contentiously only ”We’ll see” on Friday when asked if he would play Sunday.

He wore red gloves and responded to other questions about the hand’s status by saying ”I’m not talking about that.”

The Patriots’ top-ranked offense will need another signature performance from Brady against the Jaguars’ second-ranked defense .

Jacksonville (12-6), trying to earn a trip to its first Super Bowl, has scored eight defensive touchdowns this season, three more than any other team. That’s the most defensive touchdowns in a season by one team since the 2012 Bears.

Brady has faced a top-2 scoring defense in the playoffs three times, going 3-0 with a passer rating of 100-plus in each game.

Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell said their respect for Brady is high. Then he dismissed the notion that anyone in Jacksonville felt like the Jags were simply playing with ”house money” after surprising Pittsburgh in the divisional round.

”We have earned the right to be here,” he said. ”We have put a lot of time and effort in, so this is an opportunity we feel like we deserve and we have prepared for. I can honestly say I expected to be here.”

Jacksonville also will be up against history: The Patriots have won the past seven meetings with the Jaguars and two straight in the postseason. Since Jacksonville entered the NFL in 1995 Jakub Vrana Jersey , it is 1-10 against the Patriots, including playoff games.

”We are going to go out and there do everything possible to stay alive and earn the right to be in the Super Bowl,” Campbell said. ”They say you have to beat the best to be the best, so I can’t wait to get out there and try.”

Quarterback Blake Bortles, who has been the subject of criticism at times during his career , said Sunday isn’t about trying to prove anyone wrong.

”I don’t think so. Personally, I do not care,” he said.

Here are some things to watch for:

FOURNETTE’S HEALTH: Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette said he is feeling “good” after he was rear-ended in what authorities say was a minor three-car crash early in the week.

Fournette ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns against the Steelers despite reinjuring his right ankle in the first half. It was his most productive game in three months.

”I feel good in spite of the ankle and stuff,” Fournette said. ”Just taking care of my body, but overall I feel good.”

BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL? All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey caused a stir when he told thousands of fans awaiting the team’s return after their win over the Steelers that the Jaguars ”are going to the Super Bowl and we are going to win that (expletive).”

Asked about Ramsey’s comment, Patriots special teams captain Matt Slater said Ramsey has reason to show confidence.

”He should be confident, because he is very, very good,” Slater said. ”The good Lord made that guy Jay Beagle Jersey , and he said, `Let there be corner.’ And there he is. I’d be confident if I were him as well.”

CONTAINING GRONK: Coach Doug Marrone has seen plenty of Rob Gronkowski dating back to his stint as Buffalo’s head coach. His approach to trying to slow down a tight end he calls a ”nightmare” of a matchup hasn’t changed much.

”Hope they do not throw him the football. Hope he drops it,” Marrone said. ”There is no secret formula. I’d like to watch a game where someone has been able to do it. He is going to make his plays and you hope those plays don’t end up killing you.”

In his past six postseason games, Gronk has 512 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He is looking for his seventh playoff game in a row with a TD catch.

SIZING THEM UP: Brandin Cooks is used to being underestimated because of his size. So the 5-foot-10 Patriots receiver isn’t worried about matching up against the taller players in Jacksonville’s secondary.

Both Jaguars starting cornerbacks, Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, are listed at 6-foot-1 and 6-0 respectively.

”I mean, you go and play,” Cooks said. ”We’re not talking measurements at this point in the season, you know?”

Cooks said Bouye he’s gotten better since he faced him during joint practices this summer.

”At the end of the day, they’re physical. And that’s how they play,” Cooks said. ”And they use that to their strength. So we gotta be ready to be able to match that physicality.”



AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to his report.

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