New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox: Jordan Montgomery vs. Ryan Weber

The Yankees home opener is finally here. The Bombers will hope to carry the momentum of their late-inning thriller last night in Baltimore into tonight’s game against their foes from Boston. The Red Sox are coming off two shaky series against the Orioles and Mets, having lost four in a row before righting the ship with their last two wins.

Yankees lefty Jordan Montgomery gets his first start of the season after impressing in spring training and summer camp, yet was still assigned to the alternate training site before Opening Day. Montgomery was limited to two appearances last year after making his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2018. He is three years removed from an admirable 2017 rookie campaign, in which he went 9-7 with a 3.88 ERA, 4.07 FIP, and 144 strikeouts in 155.1 innings pitched. The Bombers need a strong start from the lanky lefty after poor performances from James Paxton and J.A. Happ cast doubt on the stability of the starting rotation.

Taking the mound for the visitors is Ryan Weber, part of Boston’s cobbled-together rotation in 2020. Weber struggled in his lone start this year against the Orioles, when he gave up six runs on six hits (two home runs) and three walks in 3.2 innings pitched. He did find some success against the Yankees last year. In three relief appearances, Weber compiled a 2.84 ERA and 0.789 WHIP, giving up four hits and two runs in 6.1 innings pitched.

The Yankees trade one struggling bat in the lineup for another. Kyle Higashioka spells Gary Sanchez at catcher, however Brett Gardner gets plugged into the seven-hole. It is encouraging to see Gleyber Torres back in the lineup after getting plunked on the right elbow in the first inning and exiting in the fourth of last night’s game.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox run out a lineup that is plenty potent, with the likes of J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers, and Xander Bogaerts batting 2-3-4. The question is whether their anemic pitching corps can keep the Yankees bats at bay.

How to watch:

Location: Yankee Stadium, New York, NY

First pitch: 7:05 p.m. EDT

TV broadcast: YES

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM

Online Stream: Fox Sports Go

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