Red Sox, Yankees Close Week On Sunday Night Baseball

Sunday night's bright lights once again shine on old rivals as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees close out a 3-game set from the Bronx.

This marks the third time this season the clubs have been given the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball treatment, each of the previous two contests in Boston and one of them done in by April showers.  One more matchup is slated for Aug. 19 in New York, and the Red Sox will need to quickly turn things around if that game is going to mean something more than just a clash of rivals.

Mound combatants on Sunday (8:00 p.m. ET) will be Felix Doubront for Boston against the Yankees' Hiroki Kuroda.  New York opened at -170, and the 10-run total was shaded to the 'under' in spots.

New York continued its domination of the Red Sox with a 10-3 rout in Friday's series opener to improve to 6-1 in the series this season, and 9-2 dating to last September.  The Yanks closed at -165 for the game that skipped past a 10-run total when the home squad plated four in the eighth.

The clubs were scheduled to get right back to business with a Saturday matinee that pitted left-handers Jon Lester and CC Sabathia on the hill.  The outcome was still pending with the Yankees $1.85 favorites and a 9-run total that leaned 'over.'

Doubront will be facing the Yankees for a third time this season, with one of the efforts coming in Boston's only win over New York.  The left-hander's previous experience vs. the Yanks before this year all came in relief that included picking up a save in the Bronx late in the 2011 campaign.

Sunday will be his first start at Yankee Stadium, however, and Doubront has had success on the road in 2012 with an ERA nearly a run-&-a-half lower than his assignments at Fenway Park.

Kuroda's last six starts have each gone into the win column for New York, four of those dubyas make their way to the 37-year-old's ledger.  That stretch includes a rough outing in Boston on July 6 when Kuroda surrendered seven runs (6 earned) before being relieved in the sixth inning.  Yankee hitters bailed him out for a 10-8 victory in a contest that was a pick on the MLB odds board.

The right-hander has been solid in 11 starts at Yankee Stadium where his ERA is 2.68 and New York stands 8-3 with Kuroda on the bump.

The two hurlers bring contrasting marks in the totals column into Sunday's battle.  Doubront's 19 starts have seen the 'over' go 11-7-1 while the 'under' is 14-6 in Kuroda's 20 assignments.  The season series stands 5-2 to the high side, and seven of the last eight played in New York have jumped 'over' the scoreboard hurdle.

Both squads are playing without one of their big boppers in the lineup.  Boston is hoping to get David Ortiz back from the disabled list later this week as Big Papi works his way back from a strained right Achilles.  New York 3B Alex Rodriguez remains out until mid-September due to a fractured bone in his left hand.

Bettors will want to keep an eye on the Don Best Pro Odds for updates regarding Eric Chavez who has been manning the hot corner in A-Rod's absence.  Chavez was cracked in the right shin by a Mark Melancon pitch in Friday's game, and he's currently listed as day-to-day.

Veteran arbiter Brian O'Nora should have plate duties for the Sunday tilt, and brings a 12-8-1 'over' mark to the dish.  The Youngstown, Ohio native got off to a fast start cashing 'over' tickets, but his games are 5-1-1 'under' recently.