5 Reasons the Boston Red Sox Will Play Spoiler and Ruin the Yankees' Week

Chances are this isn't the sort of meaningful September baseball that ticket holders had in mind for this next-to-last series of the season between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Boston, who has been out of the playoff picture for what seems like months, is looking to play spoiler against the Yankees, who over the past month have blown a 10-game-lead in the division and find themselves in a fierce battle with the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays for not only the division, but potentially a wild-card spot as well.

Boston may be out of contention, but don't think for a second that they aren't relishing at the chance to stick it to the Yankees in front of the Fenway faithful—and they can pull it off.

Let's take a look at why that is.

No Mark Teixeira Means the Yankees Defense and Lineup Is Weakened

After re-aggravating his calf injury against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixiera is out for the series against the Red Sox, according to ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.

The Yankees will use a combination of right fielder Nick Swisher and journeyman Steve Pearce to man first base in Teixeira's absence, but each comes with it's own set of issues.

Putting Swisher at first means, most likely, that either Raul Ibanez or Andruw Jones will get the call in left field, depending on the pitching match-up.

Both veterans have been borderline useful since the All-Star break, with Jones hitting .143 in the second half of the season while Ibanez is hitting .202 with a .652 OPS in the second half of the season, numbers that aren't quite as pathetic as Jones' but equally as ineffective.

Teixiera's days as a .300 hitter are long gone, but he still represented a dangerous bat in the Yankees lineup. On the season, he's hitting .255 with 23 home runs and 81 RBI—not to mention that he continues to be one of the best fielding first basemen in the game.

The Yankees simply cannot replace his production, whether it be with his bat or with his glove.

Sox Are Throwing Two Lefties

Speaking of the aforementioned Mark Teixiera, he was one of the most effective Yankees' bats against southpaws, sitting with an .891 OPS on the season.

It just so happens that Boston is throwing two lefties in this three-game series: Jon Lester on Tuesday night and Felix Doubront in the finale.

While Lester hasn't been great this year over three starts against the Yankees, sitting with a record of 1-1, 4.67 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, Doubront has been.

Over three starts against the Yankees this season, the 24-year-old Doubront has gone 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

Without Teixiera in the lineup, the bats of the Bombers' attack will have issues

Second baseman Robinson Cano will most definitely start every game, but he's struggled mightily against southpaws this season with a .226/.287/.335 batting line to go along with six home runs and 20 RBI.

Center fielder Curtis Granderson's struggles with left-handed pitching is well known and he enters the series with a .222/.305/.420 bating line and there's a chance he won't make the starts against the left-handed duo.

That's a lineup that won't have Teixiera and could be without Granderson starting in two-of-the-three games—and a big advantage to the Red Sox.

Two of the Yankees Three Starters Don't Fare Well at Fenway

The Yankees will be throwing two pitchers who have not pitched particularly well in Fenway Park.

David Phelps has a 6.75 ERA and 1.75 WHIP over four innings of work at Fenway this season while Phil Hughes, Friday's starter, has thrown to a 5.06 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP in just over five inning of work.

Neither pitcher has developed into someone that Joe Girardi is entirely comfortable giving the ball too every fifth day, especially heading into Fenway Park, and early struggles could lead to early work for the Yankees' bullpen, which has been even more hittable than it's starters as of late.

Boston might not have the powerhouse lineup that it used to be, but you can rest assured that guys like Pedroia and Ellsbury are licking their lips looking forward to seeing both arms.

Changing Times

The last time these two teams met was a three-game series at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 17 through Aug. 19, a series that saw the Yankees take two-of-three from the Red Sox.

But that Red Sox team no longer exists, as a week later came the blockbuster trade with the Dodgers.

Boston has gone 3-11 since the trade, so it's not as if the immediate on-field product in Boston has gotten significantly better. If anything, they are probably a less talented team now than they were then.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing as the point of said trade was not only to accumulate more fiscally manageable talent moving forward, but to change the atmosphere surrounding the team.

Boston Has Nothing to Lose and the Yankees Have Everything to Lose

While the Yankees were able to split their four-game series with Baltimore this weekend and remain a game ahead of the Orioles for the AL East lead, the Bombers have played tight, uninspired baseball since the All-Star break.

Boston has absolutely nothing to lose—and players who have nothing to lose are dangerous opponents for any team, especially one that is aging and under a tremendous amount of pressure to win now.

A tight Yankees squad will wind up dropping two of these games to the Red Sox as some players begin to look ahead to their matchup with the Rays this weekend well before they should be doing so.