New York @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2013 ) NY Yankees 4, Boston 8

The Boston Red Sox are putting away the American League East at the expense of the rival New York Yankees. The Red Sox will look to put another dent in the Yankees’ playoff chances when they host the second contest of a three-game set on Saturday. New York’s bullpen is a sore spot at the moment and it let the team down again in an 8-4 loss in Friday’s series opener.

The Yankees' bullpen squandered a pair of leads in losing three of four to Boston last weekend, and Preston Claiborne served up a grand slam to Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the seventh inning to provide the winning margin on Friday. New York sits two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second AL wild card, 10 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the East. Boston trimmed its magic number to clinch the division to seven and is 15-4 in its last 19 games.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (13-12, 4.82 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (13-8, 3.86)

Sabathia is giving New York plenty of innings but is not holding down opponents like he has in the past. The burly veteran surrendered four runs (three earned) over 7 1/3 innings in a loss at Baltimore on Monday - the ninth time in 10 outings that he yielded at least three earned runs. Sabathia was knocked around for a total of 13 runs and 16 hits over 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts at Boston.

Lester is looking for his eighth straight quality start and is displaying pinpoint command with a total of one walk in his last two starts. The Washington native started at New York on Sunday and allowed three runs on 10 hits in eight innings without factoring in the decision. Lester is 1-1 with a 4.19 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Saltalamacchia’s grand slam was Boston's third of the season against the Yankees. Mike Napoli hit the first two.

2. New York 3B Alex Rodriguez (hamstring) could make his fourth straight start at DH on Saturday.

3. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury removed the protective boot on his fractured right foot on Friday and is beginning activities.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 7, Yankees 3