BOSTON -- Yes, Clay Buchholz is secure enough in his Red Sox skin that he can admit that Derek Jeter was one of his favorite players growing up.

Buchholz was on the roster for three Red Sox-Yankees games last September, but didn't pitch. That won't be the case Friday night when the most heated rivalry in baseball renews for another season with Buchholz taking the ball for Boston. He will be opposed by Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang.

However, you can be sure that Buchholz will be thinking a lot more about the hitters he will be facing. Will Jeter -- who has been sidelined with a strained left quad the past few days -- be one of those New York boppers?

Either way, this is a start Buchholz is clearly looking forward to making.

"The atmosphere here, every game is awesome," Buchholz. "When the Yankees show up, it's a different story. Just the fact that we're playing the New York Yankees, that's a team that I grew up watching because I liked Derek Jeter and I liked watching him play. He's just a great, all-around athlete. It's going to be a fun, all-around day for me just to say that I'm here and I get to do this."

The last time Buchholz pitched at Fenway Park was Sept. 1, 2007, and all he did that night was fire a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles.

"That was a great day also," said Buchholz. "But it's a new year. I've got to forget about last year and hopefully progress on to this year and make things happen and help this team win."

With or without Jeter, beating the Yankees would be an impressive feat for the 23-year-old Buchholz.

"It's going to be something that will be a lifetime experience, really because I haven't been able to pitch against these guys yet," said Buchholz. "Everybody knows their lineup and who they are and what they're capable of doing. I think [Friday] is going to be an interesting day."

The rivalry has hardly any new faces this year, as the Red Sox and Yankees had surprisingly little turnover during the winter.

But veteran first baseman Sean Casey -- now thrust into an everyday role with Mike Lowell on the disabled list -- is looking forward to seeing what Red Sox-Yankees is all about.

"I'm excited to see the excitement in the stadium and the excitement of the rivalry, because like I said, I've always seen it from afar and admired it from afar, watching it on TV. The experience first-hand should be pretty fun," Casey said. "I think every player, if you play Major League Baseball, at some point you'd like to experience that rivalry first-hand. It will be cool to be able to get out there and feel what that rivalry is like."

And if Jeter wants to sit this one out, Red Sox manager Terry Francona won't complain.

"You can never be too careful with those quads," quipped Francona.

This will be the first of 18 meetings between the rivals this season. The perennial American League East powers are both off to unspectacular starts this season, as evidenced by their identical 5-5 records.

When the Red Sox won the American League East last season, it marked the first time since 1998 that anyone besides the Yankees claimed the division. The Sox also went on to win the World Series for the second time in four years.

Pitching matchup
BOS: RHP Clay Buchholz (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
Although his pitching line might not show it, Buchholz took a step in the right direction with his performance against the Blue Jays in his last outing. The 23-year-old right-hander used all four of his pitches effectively en route to surrendering four runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking two. If it weren't for an error by Casey and a few bloop hits by Toronto's offense, those numbers would have looked even more impressive. Buchholz has never faced the Yankees during his young career, but is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts at Fenway Park.

NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (2-0, 1.38 ERA)
Wang took a no-hitter into the fifth inning on Sunday, when he blanked the Rays for six innings. A high pitch count kept Wang from lasting deeper into the game, but it was enough for him to earn his second win. He'll look for No. 3 against the Red Sox, a team he beat three times in five starts last year. For his career, Wang holds a 2-3 record and 6.17 ERA at Fenway Park.

Tidbits
Sox slugger David Ortiz is off to his worst start (3-for-36) in recent memory. ... Conversely, right fielder J.D. Drew (.440) is on fire. ... Left fielder Manny Ramirez has reached base in all 10 games.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• NESN

On radio
• WRKO 680, SBN 1150 (Español)

Up next
• Saturday: Red Sox (Josh Beckett, 0-1, 9.64) vs. Yankees (Mike Mussina, 1-1, 3.09), 3:55 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Red Sox (Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2-0, 1.47) vs. Yankees (Phil Hughes, 0-1, 5.00), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Red Sox (Jon Lester, 1-2, 4.50) at Indians (Jake Westbrook, 1-1, 2.76), 7:05 p.m. ET