Pitching Matchups: Wade Miley, Joe Kelly To Make 2015 Red Sox Debuts vs. Yankees
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox left Philadelphia with a pair of interleague wins, and now head to New York to take on their biggest rivals.
The Red Sox and Yankees will meet for three games at Yankee Stadium this weekend, with two games on national television.
Here are the pitching matchups for the weekend set in the Bronx:
Friday, April 10 -- 7:05pm
Wade Miley (8-12, 4.34 ERA for Arizona in 2014) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (6-14, 4.37 ERA for Miami in 2014)
Both Miley and Eovaldi are making their debuts for their new teams on Friday night.
Miley has only seen the Yankees once in his career, allowing three runs off four hits and three walks while striking out three in 6.2 innings of a 4-3 Arizona loss back in 2013.
Like Miley, Eovaldi is also transitioning from the National League to the AL East. He went 0-4 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.605 WHIP in nine starts against the AL as a member of the Florida/Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Key Matchup: Pablo Sandoval vs. Eovaldi
Panda is only 2-for-12 to start the season, but he's very familiar with Eovaldi. As a member of the Giants, Sandoval went 8-for-11 against the righty with three doubles, a homer and nine RBI.
Saturday, April 11 -- 1:05pm
Joe Kelly (4-2, 4.11 ERA in 10 GS for Boston in 2014) vs. Adam Warren (3-6, 2.97 ERA in 69 GP in 2014)
John Farrell announced earlier this week that it would be the knuckleballer Steven Wright and not Kelly starting the middle game of the three-game set in New York. But Farrell changed his mind on Thursday, and Kelly is expected to be activated from the disabled list ahead of Saturday's game.
Kelly was sidelined this spring with a biceps strain and was slated to make a rehab start in Single-A, but those plans obviously changed. He will likely be on a pitch count, so he'll have to make the most of his work early on.
Warren has pitched against the Sox 17 times in his career, all relief appearances, allowing 26 hits and 13 runs in 27.1 innings while striking out 28.
Key Matchup: Mike Napoli vs. Warren
The Sox first baseman is 3-for-8 with a homer, two walks and three strikeouts in his career against Warren.
Sunday, April 12 -- 8:00pm
Clay Buchholz (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Masahiro Tanaka (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
Both starters will be toeing the rubber for the second time this season when the Sox and Yankees face off on Sunday Night Baseball.
Buchholz was solid against a weak Phillies lineup, tossing seven shutout innings of three-hit ball while striking out nine, but has a much tougher test against the Yankees.
Meanwhile, Tanaka struggled in his Opening Day start, causing a lot of concern in New York regarding that small UCL tear their $175-million man was diagnosed with last season. He allowed five runs (four earned) off five hits and a pair of walks in five innings, striking out six Blue Jays in a 6-1 Yankees loss. His last time on the mound before Opening Day was a start against Boston at the end of last season when he lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing five runs off of seven hits.
It could be a big night for bats Sunday night in New York.
Key Matchup: Alex Rodriguez vs. Buchholz
A-Rod is 10-for-25 (.400) against Buchholz with two homers and seven RBI.
