Yankees vs Red Sox Odds, Betting Lines, and Probable Pitchers (Sep. 25)
- After the Yankees’ 8-3 win over Boston on Friday, the two teams are separated by just one game in the AL wild-card race
- New York has now won four in a row after snapping Boston’s seven-game win streak
- Read on for a preview, full odds and a best bet for this crucial Saturday afternoon contest
The New York Yankees (87-67, 42-34 away) visit the Boston Red Sox (88-66, 49-30 home) on Saturday, September 25th, to play the second game of a vital three-game series.
With Tampa having all but sewn up the AL East title, the second-place Red Sox and third-place Yankees are currently fighting to cling to the league’s two wild-card spots. Boston’s lead is now just one game after the Yankees’ 8-3 win on Friday night that snapped the Red Sox’ seven-game win streak.
With the Toronto Blue Jays just two games back of the Yankees, and Seattle also firmly in the hunt, the pressure is on both the Red Sox and Yankees to keep up their winning ways to power their path into the postseason.
Yankees vs Red Sox Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | -105 | +1.5 (-190) | Over 10.5 (-105) |
| Boston Red Sox | -115 | -1.5 (+160) | Under 10.5 (-115) |
Odds as of September 24th at DraftKings
Probable Pitchers
The underdog Yankees will turn to Nestor Cortes to keep their win streak alive on Saturday afternoon. Cortes has a 2-2 record with a 2.79 ERA this year, and is one of the hottest arms in the AL right now. Since he made his season debut on May 30, the left-hander’s 2.79 ERA is the second lowest in the AL and 10th lowest in MLB.
Nestor Cortes Jr strikes out three straight 🔥#Yankeespic.twitter.com/LB0wjOxtvN
— The Dingers and Ks Show (@TheDingersandKs) September 21, 2021
Coming into this game on his regular four days rest, Cortes will make his 13th start of the year, coming off a short, 4.1-inning appearance during Monday’s win over Texas. He took a no-decision after striking out seven and giving up three earned runs.
Cortes vs Pivetta Stats
| 2-2 | Record | 9-7 |
| 2.79 | ERA | 4.63 |
| 84.0 | Innings Pitched | 144.0 |
| 94 | SO | 159 |
| 25 | BB | 63 |
However, Saturday is likely to drag up some unhappy memories for Cortes, as he makes his first career start at Fenway Park. The 26-year-old Cuban has made three prior appearances at the old ballpark, giving up four earned runs over a combined three innings.
RT YESNetwork "Nestor Cortes on his top-notch performance, which included a career-high 11 Ks.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/mx1nIyqntL"
— Pinstripe Road Trip (@YankeeOnTheRoad) September 16, 2021
Cortes has given up 11 earned runs and 14 hits across 10 innings in six total appearances against the Red Sox, although he has yet to factor into a decision against them.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Red Sox Batters | Batting Average vs Nestor Cortes |
|---|---|
| Christian Arroyo | .000 |
| Xander Bogaerts | .200 |
| Bobby Dalbec | .000 |
| Rafael Devers | .500 |
| Enrique Hernandez | 1.000 |
| Jose Iglesias | — |
| J.D. Martinez | .000 |
| Hunter Renfroe | .333 |
| Christian Vazquez | .400 |
| Alex Verdugo | .000 |
| Yankees Batters | Batting Average vs Nick Pivetta |
| Joey Gallo | .000 |
| Brett Gardner | .000 |
| Aaron Judge | — |
| DJ LeMahieu | .250 |
| Rougned Odor | .000 |
| Anthony Rizzo | .333 |
| Gary Sanchez | 1.000 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | .364 |
| Gleyber Torres | .000 |
| Gio Urshela | 1.000 |
| Luke Voit | .500 |
| Tyler Wade | .000 |
Coming off his second-shortest outing of the season, Nick Pivetta will be hoping to improve on his 9-7 record and 4.63 ERA. He enters the game leading the Red Sox pitchers in opposing batting average (.239) and has thrown five or more innings in 19 of his 28 starts.
Tomorrow it's Nick Pivetta for #RedSox vs #Yankees, 9-7 with a 4.63 ERA in 28 starts of 2021. 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA in 2 career games (1 start) vs NYY.
— Red Sox Nation Stats (@RSNStats) September 25, 2021
However, similar to Cortes, he will likely be having nightmares about this matchup. In two career appearances – including one start – Pivetta is 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA across 3.2 innings against the Yankees.
Sox On Top
New York’s 8-3 win on Friday was just the second Yankees win at Fenway Park this season, but Boston still holds a fairly comprehensive 6-2 edge at home and a 10-7 edge overall this season.
The G-Man Can. pic.twitter.com/A9nrbcBDT1
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 25, 2021
However, after going 9-1 against the Red Sox last year, the Bronx Bombers are firmly on top in the rivalry of late, going 24-12 in their last 36 meetings and 53-34 since the final week of the 2016 season.
Yankees vs Red Sox Prediction
After drawing first blood on Friday night behind an explosive offense and the right arm of ace Gerrit Cole, the Yankees jumped right into control of this series.
If the offense can continuing swinging the bats – and the team is currently on a season-high 16-game hot streak with at least one home run – and Cortes can continue his recent form, there’s no reason the Bombers can’t draw level with the Red Sox in the wild-card race here.
Best bets: Yankees (-105); Over 10.5 (-105)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
