Porcello looks to get on track against Yankees (Jun 07, 2017)

NEW YORK -- Defending his Cy Young title is proving to be difficult for Rick Porcello.

The Boston Red Sox right-hander won the American League award by going 22-4 last season, but this year, he already has seven losses.

Porcello (3-7, 4.24 ERA) will be on the mound Wednesday night when the Red Sox continue their three-game series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

A year ago, Porcello was 7-2 with a 3.82 ERA through 12 starts. Entering his 13th start of 2017, Porcello has allowed a league-leading 96 hits through 74 1/3 innings, 29 more than he allowed through his first 12 starts of 2016.

"It comes down to consistent location with his sinker," Boston manager John Farrell said. "He's had some pitches where it's found its way back to the middle of the plate. So while he's made big pitches in spots where he's had multiple men on, prior to that is where some of the damage has come in."

Farrell's assessment is correct based on numbers.

With the bases empty, Porcello is allowing a .345 average. With men on, opponents are batting .257. Last season, he allowed a .223 average with runners on base and a .243 mark with the bases empty.

The right-hander began this season by going 1-3 with a 4.75 ERA through his first five starts. In his past seven outings, Porcello is 2-3 with a 3.88 ERA.

Porcello last pitched Friday in a 3-2 loss at Baltimore, where he allowed three runs and eight hits in eight innings. Two of those hits were home runs, marking only the fifth time since last season Porcello gave up multiple long balls.

"I'm not far off. I definitely feel good about some of the stuff I'm doing," Porcello said. "It's kind of every start, I'm grinding through it, decent ballgames. It's not at the level I expect myself to pitch at, and I need to be pitching at for our ballclub.

"It's not bad, it's not good, it's just kind of grinding and fighting through each start. Need to be sharper and need to turn it around quick."

Porcello is 7-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 15 career starts against the Yankees.

The Yankees' Wednesday starter, CC Sabathia (6-2, 4.12 ERA), will attempt to win a fifth straight start for the first time since April 17-May 10, 2012. Sabathia also will attempt to become the 65th pitcher to reach 230 career wins.

In his last four starts, Sabathia has allowed four earned runs and 20 hits to go along with 26 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. He last pitched Thursday in a 12-2 win at Toronto, allowing one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Before this run, Sabathia allowed 22 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings in a span of four starts, prompting a headline in a New York tabloid to read: CC Sabathia's spot in Yankees rotation may not be safe much longer.

"It's baseball. It is what it is," Sabathia said after his last home start May 27 against the Oakland A's. "You got to keep going, stick with your routine, and try to come out of whatever kind of slump you're in."

The left-hander is 13-13 with a 4.48 ERA in 35 career starts against Boston.

The Red Sox will seek their fourth straight win after holding on for a 5-4 victory in the series opener on Tuesday. Tuesday marked the fifth time all season the Red Sox hit at least three home runs. Boston has hit 56 overall.

"I think even over the last couple, three weeks we're seeing the ball be impacted a little bit more consistently," Farrell said, "so it's good to see it from a number of different guys. That's the biggest thing."

The Yankees are 3-5 in their last eight games, and Wednesday could end with them not holding sole possession of first place for the first time since May 20.

New York slugger Aaron Judge reached base three times but also struck out against Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel in the late innings as the potential tying run. He is batting .382 (13-for-34) during a career-best nine-game hitting streak and .328 overall.