«You have to cash in. It really doesn’t matter who you’re playing.»
«You have to cash in. It really doesn’t matter who you’re playing.»
COMMENTARY
The Red Sox’ collision course with the Yankees this weekend at Fenway Park likely won’t hold any weight in determining which club will be playing baseball in October.
Entering Friday’s series opener, the Yankees held a 99.3 percent chance of making the postseason (per FanGraphs), with the Red Sox right behind them at 95.4 percent.
But in a wide-open American League field, this three-game set between these storied rivals might determine which club could play host during a Wild-Card series in the coming weeks — or potentially catapult either team toward a divisional crown.
The Red Sox welcomed the Bronx Bombers to Fenway on Friday just a half-game behind them in the standings — with Toronto’s hold atop the AL East also far from secure (three games ahead of New York).
For Alex Cora and a Red Sox squad bracing for playoff baseball for the first time since 2021, a mid-September meeting with the Yankees held more significance beyond the century-long beef brewing between both franchises.
It was an opportunity that resonated with a fanbase welcoming meaningful games in September after an extended drought.
“Went to Legal Sea Foods. … Two people offered to pay the check,” Cora said pregame. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is going well.’ … You can tell that everybody’s excited about the team, the weekend, and hopefully we can come through.”
But when given an opportunity to put their rival on the ropes Friday, the Red Sox didn’t just whiff on a barrage of haymakers. Rather, they stumbled before even stepping into the ring against their long-standing foe.
For all of the excitement emanating from Fenway Park on Friday evening, it didn’t translate to Boston’s efforts on the diamond — with the Yankees securing a 4-1 victory on a sloppy night at Fenway Park.
