Yankees seek sweep of scuffling Red Sox

The Yankees and Boston Red Sox stumbled into their first meeting of the season with ugly records, but New York can emerge with some momentum if it can complete a two-game sweep Wednesday in the Bronx.

In the first of 19 meetings on the season, the Yankees cruised to an 8-0 win Tuesday.

The Yankees entered the series with a 6-9 record and losses in five of their previous six games before rolling behind 12 strikeouts in eight innings from James Paxton along with homers by Clint Frazier, Mike Tauchman and Gleyber Torres.

"We're trying to get ourselves in order right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after his team produced its second shutout of the season and posted its highest run total in a home game. "Even though ... we lost four out of five or whatever it was, we had leads in all the games. There's a level of feeling like we've been close. We just haven't played that complete game."

The Yankees will hope to turn in another complete game as they continue to play with an extensive injured list. New York opened the series after putting first baseman Greg Bird on the injured list due to a left plantar facia tear.

Boston's 6-12 start is its worst through 18 games since the 1996 edition opened 3-15 before eventually finishing 85-77. The Red Sox not take their 12th loss until May 11 in their 38th game last year en route to winning the World Series.

The Red Sox have mustered a total of seven hits and one run in their past two games, and they are 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position in the past three games.

Boston also heads into Wednesday with Mookie Betts in a slump. The reigning American League MVP has three hits in his past 28 at-bats to lower his batting average to .212.

"We just got to play better regardless of it we're hurt or healthy," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said before Tuesday's loss. "We've been inconsistent in every aspect of the game, pitching, offense, defense, baserunning. It's on us to clean that up, and when we do that, we're one of the best teams in the big leagues, if not the best."

After Paxton dominated, the Yankees will hope J.A. Happ can jump-start his season Wednesday.

Happ (0-2) owns an 8.76 ERA after allowing six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings Friday against the Chicago White Sox.

The left-hander is 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 21 regular-season games (20 starts) against Boston. He last faced the Red Sox in Game 1 of the 2018 AL Division Series when he allowed five runs on four hits in two innings.

After Boston lefty Chris Sale said he was embarrassed about dropping to 0-4 with an 8.50 ERA on Tuesday, another struggling starter takes the mound for the Red Sox.

Nathan Eovaldi (0-0) has allowed 14 runs in his first three starts, each lasting five innings. He saw his ERA climb to 8.40 after allowing five runs on six hits on Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Eovaldi pitched for the Yankees in 2015 and 2016. He has faced New York only four times in his career, all last season, and went 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA, a .173 opponents' average (14-for-81) and a 0.77 WHIP. Eovaldi also held the Yankees to one run in seven innings in Boston's 16-1 win in Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS.

--Field Level Media