Wednesday 5/2 Baseball

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YTD 6-3

NEW YORK YANKEES @ BOSTON RED SOX >>>> OVER 9.5 +103
NY Yankees (13-11, 4-8 away) at Boston (15-11, 7-4 home) 7:05 PM. EST

The New York Yankees have waited more than two years to get another crack at Josh Beckett. Now there is added incentive with him wearing the uniform of their arch-rivals.

Beckett will start for the Boston Red Sox in Tuesday's finale of a two-game series against the Yankees, whom he dominated en route to World Series Most Valuable Player honors in 2003.

As a 23-year-old on October 25, 2003, Beckett pitched a five-hitter in Yankee Stadium as the Florida Marlins posted a 2-0 victory in Game Six to clinch their second World Series title in franchise history.

Acquired in a trade with the Marlins over the winter, Beckett (3-1, 4.50 ERA) won his first three starts with the Red Sox before going 0-1 with a 10.64 ERA in his last two outings. He surrendered nine runs, six hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings of a 15-3 loss at Cleveland on Thursday.

After concluding April with four losses in five games, the Red Sox posted a 7-3 victory in Monday's series opener. David Ortiz delivered an RBI single in the first inning and capped a four-run eighth with a three-run homer.

Ortiz will look to improve upon a .316 average and 57 RBI in 72 lifetime games against the Yankees when the Red Sox face Shawn Chacon (3-1, 4.56) on Tuesday.

Since making a pair of relief appearances last month, Chacon has allowed just two runs and eight hits in 13 1/3 innings to win both starts. In his only start against Boston since being acquired from Colorado in July, Chacon surrendered five runs and six hits in three innings of a 9-2 setback in Yankee Stadium on September 10.

Johnny Damon, who spent the previous four seasons with the Red Sox, went hitless in four at-bats Monday in his first game at Fenway Park as a member of the Yankees.

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LOS ANGELES DODGERS @ ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS ML +105 *Listed Pitchers
LA Dodgers (12-14) at Arizona (13-13) 9:40 PM. EST

Looking to continue their recent mastery of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks turn to a pitcher used to winning big games.

Orlando Hernandez takes the mound as the Diamondbacks look for their 11th victory over the Dodgers in 13 matchups when the teams conclude their two-game series Tuesday.

A veteran of three World Series-winning teams with the New York Yankees and one with the Chicago White Sox, Hernandez (2-3, 5.27 ERA) comes off his best National League outing. He gave up just one run and two hits in six innings of Wednesday's win against San Diego.

The Dodgers will call upon Odalis Perez (3-1, 5.61), who is 4-5 with a 3.13 ERA lifetime against Arizona. His three-game winning streak ended in his last start on Wednesday, when he yielded seven runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings against Houston.

Claudio Vargas worked six strong innings for his first home victory of the campaign and added an RBI single to lead the Diamondbacks to a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers.

Nomar Garciaparra had two hits for the Dodgers, who have dropped four of six.

LA are 4-13 in their last 17 games as a favorite.
LA are 2-7 in Perez's last 9 road starts.
LA are 4-10 in Perez's last 14 night starts.

Head to Head: LA are 2-10 in the last 12 meetings.