Chowder and Champions
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Boston Red Sox: 3 keys to winning ALDS vs. New York Yankees

By Justin Keene

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 08: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees is tagged out by Christian Vazquez #7 of the Boston Red Sox trying to score on Aaron Judge #99 single in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on May 8, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 08: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees is tagged out by Christian Vazquez #7 of the Boston Red Sox trying to score on Aaron Judge #99 single in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on May 8, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

The 2018 ALDS matchup is set, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will face off in the postseason for the first time since 2004.

The 108-win Boston Red Sox welcome the New York Yankees into Fenway for the first 2 of a potential 5 game series to advance one step closer to the World Series.

The AL East rivals played 19 games against each other so far, with the Red Sox winning 10 of those games. The most recent series coming on the last weekend of the season, where the Yankees took 2 of 3 in Boston.

This matchup is possibly the most intriguing matchup of the MLB postseason, as the division rivals will battle it out to advance to the ALCS and play the winner of the Astros-Indians series.

Lets take a look at 3 keys to beating the Bronx bombers for the Red Sox.

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1. Starting Pitching needs to be elite

Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello. The first 3 starters for the Boston Red Sox. These players will be the keys to the series and ultimately how far this team goes into October.

Chris Sale has been out for the last month and a half with a shoulder injury. The lefty has pitched 12 innings in the month of September, allowing 11 hits, 5 runs, 1 HR, while striking out 18 and yielding only 1 walk. Chris Sale needs to be the Chris Sale we all know and love in order for the Sox to beat the Yankees in Game 1 and potentially Game 5. In his 2 games against the Yankees this season, Sale has gone 13 innings, with 9 hits, 1 earned run, 19 strikeouts and allowing only 1 walk. He picked up the Win in both games.

David Price is your game 2 starter. He has been absolutely dominant since the All-Star break, going 6-1 in 11 starts, with 68 innings pitched, 68 strikeouts, 16 walks, 19 runs, while allowing 50 hits and posting a 2.25 ERA. His track record in the playoffs aren’t all that great however. Price carries a career 5.03 ERA in 73.1 innings of post season work. He needs to be better this go around, especially against the Yankees.

Rick Porcello is probably one of the most overlooked pitchers in all of baseball. He is the third starter in a stacked rotation for Boston, but he has also won a Cy Young award in 2016 with the Red Sox. This season against New York, Porcello has 20 strikeouts in 4 games while allowing 6 runs and holding the Yankees to a sub par .443 OPS. If he can continue his success, he could help the Red Sox steal game 3 on the road.

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