It’s the day you have been waiting for since your favorite NFL team was knocked out of Super Bowl contention. Baseball is here and the boys of summer are ready for another fight to make it to October.
On April 4th, Major League Baseball opens the 2010 season with the most storied rivalry in all sports. The defending 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees will be in enemy territory when they battle with the Boston Red Sox.
The first game will feature two the American League East’s top pitchers. The rivals are sending in their best with CC Sabathia to face off against Josh Beckett.
Josh Beckett has struggled against the Yankees with a career 5.33 ERA. The Yankees hit several bombs last year with eight home runs when Beckett was on the mound. It gets worse as Yankee sluggers Jeter, Posada, and Cano have a .300 plus avg. against the confident hurler. Beckett is the ace of the staff but Lester would have been a better choice for the opening night game against the Evil Empire.
CC Sabathia has owned the Red Sox and is rocking a 3-1 record with a 2.22 ERA last season. Red Sox standouts like Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre hit under .200 when in the box against the Yankee ace. If anyone will do well on Sunday night for the Red Sox it will likely be new additions Mike Cameron who sports a .462 avg. and Marco Scutoro with a .353 avg.
The Yankees have lost some key players with Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Yankee management attempted to answer the void in the off-season by bringing in Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson. Even without “A Thrilla from Godzilla," the Bronx Bombers are still contenders with Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano River in pinstripes.
The Red Sox let Jason Bay go without a fight and took in the gold gloves of Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre.
The Red Sox have arguably the best pitching rotation in baseball and that’s with Dice-K on the disable list to start the season. There is fantastic group of relievers to set up a nice ninth inning for closer Jonathan Papelbon.
It’s apparent the focus this season for Boston is pitching and defense but they still have some bats in their line-up to provide some run support.
This will be the first of many games between the two big market franchises. But ask any member of the Red Sox Nation and you will learn that every game against the Yankees is important. The Fenway faithful root for the Red Sox and any team facing the Yankees that night.
The Yankees and Red Sox are heavy favorites to go to the World Series. We get the see what could be an early preview of the American League Championship Series with the first game of the season. Let’s all take a seat and enjoy another great season watching our heroes play the game we all love.
For fantasy baseball advice and MLB team previews, head over to MLB Soup .
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/373510-2010-major-league-baseballs-opening-night-yankees-vs-redsox
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