After getting blown out in the first two games of their series with the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees bounced back with a 9-3 victory in Thursday’s series finale at Yankee Stadium.
There’s not much time to celebrate for the Yankees, however, who have a pivotal three-game series with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park this weekend.
After Thursday’s game, Aaron Boone reflected on New York’s upcoming trip to Boston, which will be the final regular-season series between the two rivals.
“Excited to get up to Boston,” Boone said. “Obviously, they’ve had our number this year. They’ve had their way with us this year.”
The Red Sox have dominated the Yankees this season, going 8-2 with a plus-18 run differential. Boston’s also been outstanding at home, going 44-28 with a plus-66 run differential at Fenway this year.
Story continues below advertisement
“We know it’s gonna be a tough series. We’re facing three good starters this weekend,” Boone said, referring to the Red Sox’s excellent trio of Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet. New York will counter with Luis Gil, Max Fried and Will Warren.
With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, both teams have plenty to play for. The Yankees lead Boston by half a game for the top American League wild card spot, and both clubs still have a chance to catch the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
Story continues below advertisement
Accordingly, there will likely be a postseason atmosphere at Fenway Park this weekend, especially with Red Sox fans enjoying meaningful September baseball for the first time in four years.
“I’m sure it’s gonna be a great environment,” said Boone. “You’re playing in the fall. It’s September. Meaningful games for them. Meaningful games for us. Playing for a lot. Rivalry. Looking forward to getting up there, and hopefully we can put together a good series.”
Both teams are 5-4 in September, so neither side has a clear advantage in terms of momentum. Either way, whichever team wins this series will be well-positioned to claim the league’s top wild card spot, making these games incredibly important.
Story continues below advertisement
