The Best Rivalry In Sports Continues Friday - Red Sox vs. Yanks

Boston, MA (AHN) -- After resting Thursday, the Red Sox and the Yankees will be bringing their best possible game to Fenway Park Friday night, where a rivalry that began April 26, 1901 will continue in the hotly contested AL East.

As it stands now, Boston and Tampa Bay are dead even, with the Yankees hovering in the background by only three games. With late July turning to early August, the season is beginning to grow late, and chances to gain ground decreasing.

The probable mound match-ups Friday evening will be Joba Chamberlain for the Yankees, and Josh Beckett for the Sox.

Chamberlain was acquired last year by the Yankees, and has been an additional stick of dynamite in an already explosive Yankees bullpen.

A career ERA of 1.98, with 95.1 innings pitched, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi's plan seems simple: come out with your biggest gun, and shoot first.

But Beckett is not to be counted out by any stretch of the imagination.

Despite the higher ERA of 3.98 this season, he has managed to win 9 out of 15 games, whereas Chamberlain has not gotten the support he needed, and is only 2-5.

It will be youth vs. experience on the mound, as Beckett brings 1134.1 innings pitched with him.

On the batting side, Red Sox fans are rejoicing as David "Big Papi" Ortiz will be returning to the line up after a partially torn ECU has kept him off the field for almost two months. Ortiz started slow this year, but has since kicked it up, bringing his slugging percentage to .486.

Ortiz will be batting third, pushing All-Star player Kevin Youkilis to the 6th position. Youkilis adds great power to the bottom half of the line up, batting .311 this season, while Manny Ramirez will remain 4th, a spot well earned for his consistant, clutch performances.

For the Yanks, Johnny Damon continues to lead off, with an on-base percentage of .381. Sluggers Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez will be batting 3rd and 4th respectively, A-Rod with a ridiculously high .598 SLG percentage.

For the Red Sox, a good showing is almost mandatory, as they will be going from the proverbial fire into the oven.

Once their done with the Yanks, the AHN #1 pick Angels will be arriving at Fenway, either to try and bring them down a notch... or hit them while they're down.

Within a week, there could be a very different climate in the AL East - and there's many predictions on who will be on top when the dust clears.