ESPN was surely hoping that this late-season Yankees vs. Red Sox matchup would have bigger postseason ramifications when they put it on the schedule. Although a win would get the Yankees tantalizing close to clinching the AL East, today’s game still feels mostly about watching to see if Aaron Judge will get his 61st home run — if the Sox pitchers will throw him strikes, that is. Luckily for the ol’ worldwide leader, that’s still a solid pull for a national audience.
Judge is batting leadoff today and will be the DH, meaning that Giancarlo Stanton will not start for the first time since September 9th.