Boston @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2015 ) Boston 5, NY Yankees 1

After long since being removed from the discussion of winning the American League East title, the Boston Red Sox would like to do their part in preventing the rival New York Yankees from doing the same. The Red Sox vie for their fifth straight victory when they play the second contest of their four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Travis Shaw and Jackie Bradley Jr. are doing their best to break out of pronounced slumps, with each belting a two-run homer in a 5-1 series-opening triumph on Monday. Shaw collected three hits after going 0-for-15 in his previous four contests while Bradley's blast provided a positive spin after he limped to a 2-for-21 mark in his last prior games. While the playoffs haven't been a topic of conversation in Boston for quite some time, New York is inching closer to a postseason berth - although it trails AL East-leading Toronto by five with six games remaining on its schedule. Former Red Sox star Jacoby Ellsbury is 5-for-12 with three runs scored in his last three games and is a staggering 11-for-21 (.524) in his career versus Tuesday starter Rick Porcello.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, NESN (Boston), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (8-14, 5.04 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (12-8, 3.99)

Porcello suffered his second straight loss on Wednesday after allowing three runs on 11 hits in seven innings of a 6-2 setback to Tampa Bay. The 26-year-old sinkerballer looks to rebound versus New York, against which he suffered a hard-luck loss on Sept 1 after yielding one earned run on five hits in eight innings while striking out a career-high 13. Porcello was taken deep in that contest and surrendered three homers in his next two contests before keeping the ball in the park in his last two starts.

Pineda improved to 3-0 in his last five starts on Thursday after overcoming one solo homer in six innings to pick up the victory in a 3-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. The 26-year-old Dominican owns a 4-2 career mark versus Boston, with strong outings in both meetings this season. Pineda yielded one run in 6 2/3 innings of a 5-1 win over the Red Sox on July 10 and did the same on just four hits in six frames in a 3-1 victory on Sept. 1.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York RHP Masahiro Tanaka will start Wednesday's game versus Boston after being sidelined for 11 days with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.

2. Boston SS Xander Bogaerts has turned it on in September, going 38-for-100 with 21 runs scored and 19 RBIs.

3. Yankees 3B Chase Headley is riding a six-game hitting streak after going 0-for-14 in his previous four contests.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Red Sox 2