The New York Yankees (7-6) and Boston Red Sox (4-8) will face each other for the first time during the 2012 MLB campaign on Friday afternoon inside Fenway Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox 

New York split its four-game home series with the Minnesota Twins by picking up a 7-6 win on Thursday night inside Yankee Stadium.  The Yankees went 4-3 on the homestand and will now get set to face their hated rivals.  “This win was important,” commented Yankees manager Joe Girardi.  Outfielder Curtis Granderson was the star of the show, finishing 5-for-5 with four RBIs, as he launched three home runs on the night.  He will likely cool off this afternoon due to being hitless in 15 career plate appearances against today’s opposing starter.  New York is 1-3 in day games this year and the “under” is 1-3 in those contests.

Yankees starter Ivan Nova (2-0, 4.15 ERA) has tallied two wins to open the season, as he’s received 17 runs of support in that span.  The right-hander picked up a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in his first road start of the year on April 9, giving up two runs and 10 hits over seven innings of work.  Nova is still searching for his first career victory against the Red Sox, coming in with an 0-2 record and 6.62 ERA, which includes an 0-1 mark and 6.75 ERA in two appearances (one start) inside this ballpark.

Boston is ready to celebrate Fenway Park’s 100th birthday with a pregame ceremony this afternoon, as the club will also try to snap a three-game losing streak.  The Red Sox have been outscored by a 25-6 margin over that span.  “We have to win,” commented Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  “That’s all it comes down to.”  Designated hitter David Ortiz has gotten off to a hot start personally, donning a .383 batting average heading into the weekend series.  Boston is 26-35 in April since the start of the 2010 season.

Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (1-0, 9.82 ERA) has split his first two outings despite getting 25 runs of support in those contests, as he comes off a 13-5 home win over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The right-hander allowed five runs on six hits in seven frames in that effort.  In seven lifetime starts in this rivalry, Buchholz has registered a losing 2-3 mark and 5.59 ERA, issuing 18 walks and fanning 22 in 38.2 innings.

Bettors will likely back the Yankees due to their 12-3 record in Nova’s last 15 starts versus AL East opponents, while the Red Sox are 3-12 when opening a series.

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