Sports Hub Staff Predictions for Red Sox-Yankees
Believe it or not, the majority of the staff at 98.5 The Sports Hub is expressing confidence in the Red Sox chances to beat the Yankees in the American League Division Series.
Of the 12 staff members polled, nine have the Red Sox winning the series. Nearly all of our “experts” think the series will be highly competitive, with nobody calling for a sweep.
Here are the predictions:
Jim Murray (Felger & Mazz)
It hit me when the final out was recorded against the A’s- holy crap, it’s the Red Sox and Yankees in the ALDS and we haven’t had these two face each other in the playoffs in 14 years!
It’s guaranteed great drama and theater.
So with that, with the Red Sox shaky pitching, I got a gut feeling they start the series 0-2, we all turn into a bunch of Chicken Littles, and then the Sox wake up and mash their way to 3 straight wins to take the series that we can add to the annals of this rivalry.
Red Sox in 5.
Adam Jones (The Adam Jones Show)
I don’t see Boston winning the World Series, but I do see them slipping past New York.
Red Sox in 5.
Scott Zolak (Zolak & Bertrand)
There’s too much uncertainty with Chris Sale. David Price will get the lone win for the Sox.
Yankees in 4.
Jim Louth (Executive Producer, Zolak & Betrand)
This is the year the Red Sox finally break through and win a playoff series, what better way to do it than against the Yankees. Sox hit their way to a win. One series prediction: Meathead Luke Voit will be the most hated Yankee by the end of the series.
Red Sox in 4.
Billy Lanni (Director of Communications, Felger & Mazz)
I’m going with the Sox in 4. Quiet bats in Game 1 and mash the next 3 games.
Jon Wallach (Toucher & Rich)
Keeping Price away from Yankee Stadium is key, and he’ll pitch out of the bullpen in Game 5 to help.
Eovaldi out of the bullpen in Game 1 will also be huge and he can hold the Yankees off in a Game 4 start, too.
The Yankees youth has come up big all season, but Betts, Benintendi and Bogaerts will be just a little bit better…this year.
Red Sox in 5.
Matt McCarthy (98.5 The Sports Hub’s Hardcore Baseball)
For the Red Sox to win this series, they’re going to need to see a major improvement in their starting pitching from 2016 and 2017.
Chris Sale needs to prove that he’s healthy, and David Price and Rick Porcello need to rewrite their history of October failures. Somehow, someway, the offense will mask the bullpen problems and the Sox will get just enough from Sale, Price, and Porcello to win.
Yes, the Red Sox are flawed, but the Yankees are just as flawed. They are poorly managed, strike out too much, and are a bad fundamental baseball team. Those types of problems show up in October.
This series won’t be good for my heart. There will be nothing easy about it.
Red Sox in 5.
Tim McKone (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Love this matchup for Boston. I still have questions about the Sox pitching but the offense should be able to overcome any concerns in this series.
Red Sox in 4.
Marshall Hook (98.5 The Sports Hub)
The Yankees get to pick between two reliable starting pitchers who pitched well in September. The Red Sox get to pick between Chris Sale and David Price. Also, New York has a bullpen.
Yankees in 4.
Sean Sylver (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Losing to the Yankees after a season like this would be unacceptable, but I don’t expect anything to be easy. I do expect violent mood swings.
Red Sox in 5.
Mike “Sarge” Riley (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Did you hear Yankee Stadium break out in chant “we want Boston!” Against the A’s? That got me ready for this rivalry to be renewed in the playoffs.
Sox are lucky to have David Price for Game 2 because I am not buying into Chris Sale in the series opener. I see this going the distance and the Yankees have a home run derby party into the ALCS during Game 5.
Yankees in 5.
Matt Dolloff (985thesportshub.com)
It’s incredible that this is the first time the Red Sox and Yankees have met in the playoffs since Johnny Damon’s grand slam and pre-unhinged Curt Schilling shutting 55,000 New Yorkers up. But here we are.
I’m expecting another typically epic series filled with the kind of rare drama we’ve been missing in October for a long time. But I’m also expecting the home team to win every game of the series, with how outrageously pressure-packed both Fenway and Yankee Stadium are for opposing teams.
And lest we forget that these teams brawled earlier in the season, and Joe Kelly is on the Red Sox’ roster? Maybe we get some good old-fashioned violence on top of everything else.
Red Sox in 5.