Yankees vs – Boston enters the Yankees–Red Sox matchup carrying a 10-game streak of 4-1 pitching-and-defense wins, while New York has dropped six of its last eight and managed just one run on three hits in each of its past two games. The night’s pitching matchup pairs Carl
By the time Saturday’s 4-1 win ended, Boston wasn’t just winning again—it was doing it in the same reliable way, over and over.
The Red Sox stretched their run to 10 consecutive games with a quality start on Saturday, their longest such streak since Boston reeled off 14 in a row in 1988. Interim manager Chad Tracy didn’t hide the shock in his voice when he tried to put that kind of consistency into words.
“When you think about that, how difficult that it is to do,” Tracy said. “To get 10 straight guys go out there and throw six or more (innings) and three or less runs, it’s pretty impressive. They’ve done an amazing job.”
That streak matters because Boston’s momentum is no longer a one-off. The Red Sox have won three in a row for the fourth time this season. On the other side. New York is sliding—losing six of its last eight games—and the Yankees’ recent offense has looked stuck in place: they’ve mustered one run on three hits in each of the last two games.
The game brings the Yankees and Red Sox together at 7:20 p.m., with NBC, Peacock, and WEEI-FM 93.7 among the ways to follow.
Probable lineups set the tone.
For the Yankees (48-34), the order is: Chisholm 2B, Rice 1B, Dominguez RF, Bellinger LF, Jones CF, Rosario DH, Cabrera 3B, Wells C, Caballero SS. The pitching matchup features LHP Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.70 ERA).
For the Red Sox (35-46), the lineup is: Eaton LF, Rafaela CF, Abreu RF, Contreras 1B, Gonzalez DH, Durbin 3B, Seigler 2B, Wong C, Cheng SS. On the mound is RHP Sonny Gray (9-1, 2.95 ERA).
A key storyline sits inside individual matchups. Yankees hitters face Gray with recent numbers that show how difficult the last trips have been: Cody Bellinger is 3-12. José Caballero 3-7. Oswaldo Cabrera 0-2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. 3-10. Jasson Domínguez 2-3. Paul Goldschmidt 1-26. Spencer Jones 3-3. Ben Rice 3-4. Amed Rosario 6-22. Anthony Volpe 1-8. and Austin Wells 0-5.
Meanwhile, Boston hitters bring their own history into the night against Rodón: Willson Contreras is 2-10, Jarren Duran 2-16, Nate Eaton 0-2, Mickey Gasper 0-3, Carlos Narváez 3-6, Ceddanne Rafaela 3-14, Connor Wong 4-10, and Masataka Yoshida 1-6.
The numbers that stand out most are the ones connected to form. The stat of the day is blunt: Sonny Gray improved to 7-0 in nine starts since returning from the injured list on May 6.
Gray’s recent success against the Yankees is another reason Boston feels steady. He picked up the win in his last encounter versus the Yankees, permitting three runs in 6 1/3 innings in a 5-3 victory on June 5. In nine career appearances against New York—each a start—he is 3-3 with a 4.17 ERA.
Still, the Yankees aren’t coming in without reminders of what they can do. Ben Rice, who belted a homer off Gray on June 5, went 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Saturday. He is mired in a 2-for-23 rut over his last six games overall.
Boston’s side has its own pitching track record to lean on. Carlos Rodón, 33, is 5-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 12 career appearances (all starts) against Boston.
There’s also movement in the standings that adds pressure in the background. New York fell out of first place (by percentage points) for the first time since June 6.
Put together. the story is hard to ignore: Boston’s rotation has been repeating the same dependable script—six-plus innings and three or fewer runs—while New York has been chasing offense that hasn’t shown up in the same way recently. And with Gray running hot since his return on May 6. and with the Yankees facing his strike-zone history. this is the kind of matchup where one side’s momentum can start to look like inevitability.
For one night at least, the question is simple and uncomfortable for the Yankees: can they break out of the recent pattern of scoring just one run on three hits, or will Boston keep stacking wins the same way it has been doing all month?
Yankees Red Sox Carlos Rodón Sonny Gray Chad Tracy lineups Game 82 quality starts Ben Rice Jarren Duran Willson Contreras