The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday in The Bronx. This marks another encounter between the historic rivals this summer.
In the first game of the twin bill, the Yankees will face Boston's 25-year-old left-handed pitcher Jake Bennett. Bennett has been a solid contributor for the Red Sox since making his major league debut in early May. He holds an 8-6 record with a 3.49 earned run average and has recorded 67 strikeouts over 87 2/3 innings pitched.
Bennett previously faced the Yankees earlier in the season, delivering a quality start on June 27. In that outing, he allowed just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three, in a 4-1 Red Sox victory. However, his recent performance has shown a decline. Over his last six starts, Bennett has surrendered at least three earned runs in each outing, pitching to a 5.29 ERA in 34 innings during that span. This downturn is notable considering four of those recent starts were against the Baltimore Orioles, the Oakland Athletics (twice), and the San Francisco Giants, all generally considered average or below-average offensive teams.
The Yankees' lineup, despite not having Aaron Judge, has shown signs of offensive momentum. Prior to Friday's 1-0 win, the team had been averaging 4.9 runs over their previous 10 games, scoring six or more runs in four of those contests.
The Yankees also have the advantage of having faced Bennett's pitching repertoire this season. While their prior meeting favored the left-hander, his recent struggles to limit runs could make it difficult for him to replicate his earlier success against a Yankees lineup that has been showing improved offensive performance.