It really didn't matter, neither were up to the task, NY was hoping to catch something with him and got slapped with some reality, and Huff may never recover.
The Yankees were just looking for a somewhat representative start. Nobody expected that disaster. Not to make excuses for him but the Red Sox are a confident team just teeing off at that point.
Boston is the best hitting team in baseball, they look a lot like the dominant Red Sox teams that won it all not long ago. Huff is a guy who just got dumped by a team that could really use a decent pitcher, because he stinks so bad. And he was going to come in and give NY a representative start? not a chance, fans needs to look past the 16 IP, it was a joke, I can go in a probably trick a few hitters for a little bit, but not for long and not against a team like the Red Sox in a big game with a packed house screaming, it's was a desperate move that had little chance to work.
The point is it was either Huff or you deal with Hughes again. They didn't have a choice. Furthermore, they put themselves in a bad spot but losing the first two games because you knew going in they were a long shot on Saturday to win. This should've been at least a split which you would've taken. Boston for a while now is way too comfortable playing the Yankees. They dig in and just tee off. Nobody makes them move in the box. Also, they are a team that doesn't go out of the strike zone. They force you to throw strikes. Even against Rivera they don't offer at his pitches off the plate. At this point Rivera doesn't have enough in his arm to get away with balls left over the plate which is why he Red Sox hit him hard so often. He needs guys swinging at those balls either inside or outside, getting those same calls from the umpire or guys going up out of the strike zone.